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Not like there's a 'kutti', but...: Jaishankar reveals where US-India talks stand
While he said trade negotiations were going on, Jaishankar also clarified that India has drawn some red lines, primarily to safeguard the interests of farmers.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday revealed that the trade negotiations between India and the US are still going on, quipping that its not like there's a "kutti" (symbolising breaking of a friendship among kids).
However, he also clarified that India has drawn some red lines when it comes to the trade talks, primarily to safeguard the interests of farmers.
During an interaction at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2025, Jaishankar said, "People do talk to each other. It's not like there's a 'kutti' there... Where we are concerned, the red lines are primarily the interests of our farmers and, to some extent, of our small producers...," adding that the government was unwilling to compromise on the interests of our farmers and our small producers.
When asked about the state of trade negotiations between India and the US, Jaishankar said no one has stopped the talks or said the negotiations were off. "Negotiations (India-US trade negotiations) are still going on. But the bottom line is we have some red lines. Negotiations are still going on in the sense that nobody said the negotiations are off," he said.
Jaishankar's remarks came days after it was reported that a team from the US scheduled to visit India for the next round of talks may defer the visit to a later date.
Trade ties between India and the US saw a major hit a few weeks back with US President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs announcement for Indian imports, which he soon threatened to double up starting August 27.
At the same summit, Jaishankar also commented on Trump's handling of the foreign policy, saying he hasn't seen a US President conducting it "so publicly".
"That itself is a departure that's not limited to India... President Trump's way of dealing with the world, even dealing with his own country, is a very major departure from the traditional orthodox manner of doing so..," Jaishankar said.
The External Affairs Minister also seemed to indicate that the US did not discuss the issue of India's Russian oil purchase with New Delhi before announcing tariffs on Indian imports.
