Ajay Srivastava Warns India Must Resist One-Sided US Trade Deals Under Trump’s Leadership

Amid ongoing India-US trade negotiations, Ajay Srivastava, Founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative, challenges President Donald Trump’s claim that India offered to drop all tariffs to zero. In conversation with Siddharth Zarabi, Group Editor, Business Today, Srivastava clarifies that while India may lower tariffs on select items, blanket concessions—especially on sensitive sectors like agriculture—are highly unlikely. He criticizes the imbalance in past U.S. trade deals, such as with the UK, where benefits heavily favored the American side. Calling such demands “bullying,” Srivastava emphasizes that India, as a major global economy, must protect its interests and demand fair trade.