E-Paper
'Best deal in region': Piyush Goyal heaps praises on India-US pact with scant detail, turns to bashing Rahul Gandhi
Questions remain over contours of India-US trade deal announced by President Donald Trump and confirmed by PM Narendra Modi on Monday
Amid questions over the contours of the India-US trade deal announced by President Donald Trump and confirmed by PM Narendra Modi, Union minister of commerce and industry, Piyush Goyal, shared some details on the agreement on Tuesday afternoon.
"This deal will help everyone, all 140 crore Indians, from farmers to fisherfolk," he claimed.
He said he wanted to share details in the Parliament, “but you saw the ugly scenes witnessed in the Lok Sabha today”.
“I condemn Rahul Gandhi for what happened,” he added, referring to ruckus over the Leader of Opposition's attempt to cite an unpublished book of former army chief Gen MM Naravane.
He then made some claims about whom the deal will benefit, not sharing details. Eventually he said details are being worked out and joint statement will be issued soon.
India's commerce minister Piyush Goyal appeared on TV on Tuesday evening purportedly to share some details and clear the air around the India-US trade deal, but mainly heaped praises on the agreement, and then said the final bits are still being worked out. The deal will be formally inked thereafter, he said.
“Final details of the deal are being worked out. And India-US joint statement will be issued shortly, after technical details are finalised,” he said in a video address. “I can assure every Indian that the details of this deal will make every Indian proud,” he said.
Goyal on the deal
Heaping general praise on the trade deal, Goyal said, “PM Modi used his friendship with Donald Trump to get the best deal among all the countries in the region, all countries that we compete with."
He explained, “There were a lot of challenges. India was facing 50% tariffs; farmers were suffering; marine exporters were worried. Until a few days ago, Opposition leaders also had been asking us when the deal would happen.”
“We hadn't been able to get this deal for months, but PM Modi used his friendship to seal such a great deal, which will immensely benefit India,” he further said.
Apparently addressing doubts over the safeguarding of the farm sector, he said, “PM Modi has always looked out for the agriculture and dairy sectors, and he ensured that nothing bad happens to them.”
“PM Modi ensured that India's sensitive sectors — agriculture and dairy — were safeguarded and given attention in the deal,” he added.
“Fishermen who export seafood celebrated in all coastal regions after the deal. This is a sign of how this deal heralds a bright future for India,” he claimed. He said engineering, textiles, marine goods, and gems and jewellery sectors will benefit in particular too.
‘Rahul ko mirchi’
He then turned to attacking the Opposition. “Rahul Gandhi is a negative person. He has a negative mentality. And any leader who joins hands with him — be it those from DMK or TMC — doesn't like a deal which will benefit so many sectors.”
He remarked, “Rahul Gandhi ko kya mirchi lagti hai? (Why does he feel the burn?) Does Rahul Gandhi have a problem with the country's growth?”
He termed Rahul's mindset “anti-national”.
“The time has come for the citizens of the country to seek accountability from Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Stalin, Kanimozhi, Akhilesh Yadav,” he added, listing leaders from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and UP, states that are to go to polls within a year.
Questions remain on Trump's statement
The suddenly-announced agreement — though in the works for a year, but with many hiccups — left policymakers and analysts grappling with conflicting claims.
President Donald Trump announced that India will take "zero" tariffs on US products, and will buy $500 billion worth of American goods.
While the deal was confirmed by PM Modi on Monday night, the lack of specific details from the government triggered a political firestorm in New Delhi.
What's known for now is that the US administration has lowered reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%, effective immediately. And the other 25% levied as penalty for India buying Russian oil has been removed. Trump said Modi promised to him India won't buy Russian oil anymore.
This move essentially rolls back a 50% tariff rate that has been in place since August 2025.
Russian oil, ‘zero’ tariffs, and other claims
However, controversy erupted over Trump’s unilateral declaration that India will "move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO".
Opposition leaders have questioned whether this creates an uneven playing field where India pays 18% while the U.S. pays nothing.
Economic experts note that while the 18% rate is higher than pre-Trump levels, it remains more favorable than the 19% and 20% tariffs currently faced by regional peers like Indonesia and Bangladesh.
Trump further asserted that PM Modi committed to a "BUY AMERICAN" initiative totaling over $500 billion in US energy, technology, agriculture, and coal.
This figure has been met with significant skepticism in India, where yearly imports from the U.S. currently hover around $45 billion.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted the discrepancy, noting that India's entire global import bill is approximately $700 billion. "So, do we stop buying from every other country?" Tharoor asked, seeking clarity.
In a move that could redefine India's geopolitical stance, Trump claimed that Modi has “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil” and will instead increase purchases from the US and US-controlled Venezuela.
Russia has reportedly stated there is "no word" on India stopping these purchases.
There are reports that India has already exited the Chabahar port project in Iran due to US sanctions.
Trump, who claims to be overseeing interim leadership in Venezuela, intends to grant the US and its partners access to the nation's vast oil reserves.
Agricultural 'red lines' at risk?
The most sensitive aspect of the deal involves the agricultural sector, which supports nearly half of India's population and contributes 18% to the national GDP.
While the Indian government previously insisted that agriculture was a "red line" that would not be compromised, US agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins declared the deal a victory that will liberalise agricultural imports to India.
Amid this, BJP-led NDA leaders hailed PM Modi as a "generational leader" who has “made history”.
But the Opposition has been scathing, with Rahul Gandhi even claiming Modi has “sold the country”.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh called for the text of the deal to be debated in Parliament. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Indian government had not yet released the full tenets of the deal, though Union minister JP Nadda assured Parliament that a formal statement and discussion would take place.
