The Indian government has firmly rejected remarks by a senior United States official suggesting that a long-pending India–US trade agreement failed because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not personally call US President Donald Trump.
Responding to comments made by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during a recent podcast interview, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the portrayal of negotiations was “not accurate” and ignored the sustained engagement between the two countries. The Centre underlined that New Delhi and Washington have been in detailed and continuous discussions on a bilateral trade pact for over a year.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India and the US had formally committed to negotiating a trade agreement as early as February 13 last year. Since then, multiple rounds of talks have taken place, with both sides working towards a mutually beneficial outcome. “On several occasions, we have been close to a deal. The characterisation of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate,” he said.
Jaiswal also dismissed any suggestion of a communication gap at the highest political level. He pointed out that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump have remained in regular contact, speaking on the phone eight times during 2025 alone. According to the MEA, these conversations covered a wide range of issues central to the India–US strategic partnership.
Reiterating India’s position, the spokesperson said New Delhi continues to remain interested in concluding a fair and balanced trade agreement between what he described as “two complementary economies.” He added that India looks forward to taking the talks forward in a constructive manner.
Lutnick’s comments had suggested that while the US moved ahead with trade agreements with other countries, talks with India did not reach a conclusion due to a lack of direct political outreach. The Centre’s response makes it clear that negotiations are ongoing and that claims of a breakdown are misplaced.
