Overview

• President Trump’s August 6 executive order raised US tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 50%, the steepest in two decades and tied to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
• At a VNIT Nagpur lecture, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari warned that global “dadagiri” stems from economic and technological power and urged boosting exports and cutting imports to reduce dependence.
• He emphasized that science and technology offer solutions to global challenges and said that India’s cultural ethos forbids it from using newfound strength to bully others.
• The Ministry of External Affairs called the levies “unjustified and unreasonable” and vowed to take all actions necessary to protect the country’s interests.
• Government leaders have tied the push for exports and technology to long-term strategic goals, with Gadkari invoking a ‘Vishwaguru’ ideal and Rajnath Singh dismissing the tariffs as efforts to hamper India’s growth.