Amitabh Kant: India Should Never Bend to U.S. Tariff Pressure, Must Negotiate Calmly

At the BT India@100 Summit, Former G20 Sherpa and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant responds to concerns over India’s $50 billion Boeing aircraft orders after US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on India to 50%, penalising Delhi for buying Russian oil — a move India called “unfair” and “unjustified.” Rejecting calls for retaliation via plane orders or digital taxes, Kant urges India to remain cool, calm, and collected, uphold its strategic autonomy, and pursue rational negotiations before the tariffs take effect in 20 days, keeping a long-term perspective.