US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariff threat against Indian imports, the government of India has presented a robust and concerted defense of its strategic and economic decisions — drawing rare bipartisan support at home.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, who is the Sivaganga representative from Tamil Nadu, was one of the first to advocate for the Centre's position.
In a trenchant social media comment, he referred to Trump's recent moves as characteristic of "impulsive heads of state", even while calling on India to persevere in making decisions driven by national interest.
The row was triggered when Trump signed an executive order, "Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates," that included a 25% tariff on a vast array of Indian exports. Rationale behind the move, Trump blamed India for benefiting from its ongoing oil business with Russia — an act which he alleged went against global opposition to Ukraine.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) quickly put out a diplomatic statement rejecting the charges. The MEA called Trump's statements "unjustified" and "unreasonable", claiming that India's energy buying decisions are driven by economic rational and the realities of worldwide supply chains, not ideological sympathies.
The Ministry clarified that India's rising oil imports from Russia started only after customary Middle Eastern sources rerouted shipments to Europe after the escalation of the Ukraine war. Not opportunistic, India's shift, the MEA added, was a "pragmatic response to global volatility."
"India will take all steps required to protect its national interests and economic security," the statement underscored.
The MEA further objected to what it called "double standards" in Western trade policies. Quoting official statistics, it noted that the European Union had imported a record 16.5 million tonnes of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2024 — much more than India's consumption. The US also continues to import major commodities like uranium and fertilisers from Russia.
India's dependence on Russian crude has increased exponentially — from mere 0.2% of its energy imports prior to the war in Ukraine to more than 35% today — making Russia India's largest source of oil. The MEA explained that this is merely a result of changing global markets and not a political statement.
Trump's recent tariffs and his long-standing complaints about India's "obnoxious" trade policies have renewed debate on the future course of Indo-US economic ties. Yet for New Delhi, the message is clear: India's pledge to strategic autonomy remains unshakeable.
Read also| India Dismisses UK Parliamentary Committee Report as 'Baseless and Dubious'
Read also| Technical Snag Halts Air India Dreamliner’s Delhi-London Take-Off
