EXCLUSIVE: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Says Cut In Import Duties Was Planned Much Before Trump

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman answers the question everyone is asking. Did the Modi government cut import tariffs in Budget 2025 under pressure from the Donald Trump administration? The Finance Minister states that the tariff cuts have been in the offing since 2022, when she had said in the Budget that “India cannot afford to be high on tariffs”. On the issue of the impact of the global trade war triggered by Trump Tariffs, the FM said the Indian government was in a ‘wait and watch’ mode.