Standing Firm: Modi’s Strategic Response to Trump’s Tariff Aggression

 In the face of mounting pressure from a global power, the wisest strategy is often restraint paired with resolve. This appears to be the path chosen by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in response to US President Donald Trump’s latest trade offensive.

Late Wednesday evening, Trump announced a steep 50% tariff on Indian goods—a move widely perceived as retaliation for India’s continued energy trade with Russia. Rather than respond with direct confrontation, Prime Minister Modi chose a calibrated and composed approach.

On Thursday, Modi engaged in a lengthy phone conversation with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, where both leaders reportedly discussed the shared burden of US tariffs and the potential for collective diplomatic action. At a public event earlier that day, Modi reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to Indian farmers, stating he would not compromise their interests, even if it came at a “heavy price.” It was a clear message of defiance—not just to Washington, but also to a domestic audience crucial ahead of elections.

Despite the growing tension, India has maintained its foreign policy direction. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval landed in Moscow the same day Trump unveiled the tariffs. In a strongly worded statement, Doval announced that President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to India is “almost finalised.” Additionally, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Russia later this month, and Modi himself is expected to attend the SCO summit in Beijing on September 1—potentially holding bilateral talks with both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

This assertive diplomatic calendar appears to have only hardened Trump’s stance. On Thursday night, the US President declared that trade negotiations with India would remain suspended until New Delhi halts its Russian oil purchases. However, sources within the Indian government indicate that Modi has no intention of yielding to what they view as one-sided demands. At the heart of Trump’s discontent is India’s refusal to open its agriculture, dairy, and fisheries markets—sectors where Modi has been especially cautious, conscious of their political and social sensitivities.

By resisting these demands, Modi is signaling solidarity with Indian farmers—a constituency that played a pivotal role in recent political discourse. After the controversial farm laws of 2020 sparked nationwide protests, Modi’s government repealed them in 2021 and expanded support through the PM-Kisan Nidhi scheme and crop insurance initiatives. Now, standing firm against Washington’s trade pressure, Modi is reinforcing his image as a protector of India’s agrarian community.

Diplomatically, Modi has kept communication with Trump to a minimum. The two leaders have spoken just twice in the last 100 days—once following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and again in June, when Trump reportedly claimed to have brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. Modi publicly dismissed those claims, asserting in Parliament that no foreign leader had influenced India's actions, a statement that is believed to have further agitated Trump.

For now, New Delhi is choosing strategic patience over confrontation. India’s official statement calling the tariffs “extremely unfortunate, unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable” marks the strongest diplomatic language used against the United States in decades. Yet Modi’s government is holding its ground, confident that Trump’s unpredictability may yet work in India’s favor.

Should a Trump–Putin summit materialize and lead to a resolution of the Ukraine conflict, much of Trump’s ire towards India may dissipate. After all, Washington had earlier encouraged India’s energy engagements with Russia and continues to source critical materials, including uranium, from Moscow.

Ultimately, any future trade agreement between India and the United States will be signed only if it aligns with India’s national interests—particularly the protection of its farmers. Until then, Prime Minister Modi is expected to continue building strategic alliances, maintaining a firm stance, and quietly sending his own messages, such as his symbolic meeting with a group of farmers from Tamil Nadu in Parliament on Thursday.