'Modi-Trump Spoke 8 Times': India Rubbishes Report Of US Trade Deal Collapse

India-US Trade Deal: Randhir Jaiswal, MEA Spokesperson, on Friday, informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump have spoken on eight occasions in regard to the India-US trade deal. Jaiswal also termed the that characterisation by the US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the trade deal as "not accurate."

India-US Trade Deal: India on Friday stated that it had been close to a trade deal with the United States on several occasions. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a press briefing, informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump have spoken over the phone on eight occasions over the past year, covering different aspects of wide ranging partnership between India and the US. 

Jaiswal also termed the that characterisation by the US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the India-US trade deal as "not accurate."

Jaiswal said, "We have seen the remarks. India and the United States were committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US as far back as 13th of February last year. That is, since then, the two sides have held multiple rounds of negotiations to reach a balanced, mutually beneficial trade agreement. On several occasions, we have been close to a deal. The characterisation of these discussions, the reported remarks, is not accurate."

"We remain interested in a mutually beneficial trade deal between two complementary economies, and look forward to concluding it. Incidentally, Prime Minister and President Trump have also spoken on the phone on eight occasions in 2025, covering various aspects of our wide-ranging. work. work," he added. 

"Incidentally, Prime Minister and President Trump have also spoken on the phone on eight occasions during 2025, covering different aspects of our wide-ranging partnership," Jiaswal elaborated. 

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What Had Lutnick Said About India-US Trade Deal? 

According to ANI, in a conversation with American venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, as part of the 'All-In Podcast' on Thursday (local time), Lutnick had said that while contracts were negotiated and the entire deal structure was prepared, the final step required direct, leader-level engagement.

"I would negotiate the contracts and set the whole deal up, but let's be clear. It's his (Trump's) deal. He's the closer. He does it. It's all set up, you got to have Modi, call the President. They were uncomfortable doing it. So Modi didn't call. That Friday left, in the next week we did Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, we announced a whole bunch of deals," the US Commerce Secretary said.

Lutnick went on to explain Trump's broader trade negotiation strategy, describing it as a "staircase" model. According to him, countries that moved first received the best possible terms, while those that followed later were offered progressively higher rates.

Referring to the first trade deal with the United Kingdom, Lutnick said Trump was repeatedly asked about which country would be next, and India was publicly named multiple times.

India, he said, was given "three Fridays" to close the deal, effectively putting it on a "short clock."

However, according to Lutnick, India did not meet the deadline, and as a result, the US moved ahead with trade agreements with several Asian countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, announcing a series of deals across Asia.

Lutnick said these agreements were negotiated at higher rates, as the US had initially assumed that India's deal would be completed earlier. When India later approached the US, around three weeks after the deadline, seeking to proceed, it was told that the opportunity had passed.

Trump's Tariffs 

The Trump administration imposed tariffs on several nations that were major exporters to the US, including India and China. 

There is a 50 per cent tariff on goods from India entering the United States since August 2025. 

(with ANI inputs)