India Refused to be 'Bullied' on Trade Deal, Was Ready to Wait: Report
Doval reportedly told the US side that New Delhi would not be pressured into a deal and could wait until the end of Trump’s second term in 2029 if necessary
Amid ongoing debate over the India–US trade deal, India had signalled it was prepared to delay any agreement rather than accept unfavourable terms during negotiations with the Donald Trump administration, according to a Bloomberg report citing official sources.
The report said the message was conveyed in early September 2025 when National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington DC. During the meeting, Doval reportedly told the US side that New Delhi would not be pressured into a deal and could wait until the end of Trump’s second term in 2029 if necessary.
Officials familiar with the discussion, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the exchange as private.
The meeting came at a time of strain in bilateral ties, marked by public criticism of the Narendra Modi government by senior US officials and steep tariffs — reportedly up to 50 per cent — imposed on certain Indian exports.
While the Trump administration projected the eventual trade agreement as a major victory for Washington, particularly in agriculture, the report said India maintained firm red lines in sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy.
The discussions also coincided with a period of heightened diplomatic activity, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin in September 2025.
Following the Doval–Rubio interaction, Trump struck a conciliatory tone during a media interaction at the White House, saying he would “always be friends” with Prime Minister Modi and describing him as “a great prime minister,” while acknowledging occasional disagreements.
Prime Minister Modi later responded on social media, welcoming Trump’s remarks and reiterating that India and the United States share a positive and forward-looking comprehensive global strategic partnership.
