India has strongly rejected remarks by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that a proposed India–US trade deal failed because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not personally call President Donald Trump.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the claim was incorrect and misleading, pointing out that Modi and Trump spoke on the phone eight times during 2025.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the two leaders were in regular touch and that trade talks had progressed on several occasions. “Prime Minister Modi and President Trump spoke on eight occasions last year. On many of these, the two sides were close to a deal. The characterisation of these discussions is not accurate,” he said.
Jaiswal also clarified that India and the United States have been formally engaged in talks for a bilateral trade agreement since February 13 last year. Since then, officials from both countries have held several rounds of negotiations aimed at reaching a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement.
He said India remains committed to finalising a trade deal that benefits both sides and reflects the complementary nature of the two economies. “India continues to be interested in a fair and mutually beneficial trade agreement with the United States,” the MEA said.
Earlier, Howard Lutnick had said that a trade deal with India did not go through because Modi did not make a direct phone call to Trump. He made the remarks during an interview on the ‘All-In Podcast’ with US investor Chamath Palihapitiya.
Lutnick claimed that while officials had negotiated contracts and prepared the framework of the agreement, the final step required direct engagement between the two leaders. According to him, India missed this step, following which the US moved ahead with deals with other countries.
He said the US then concluded trade agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, announcing several deals across Asia.
Lutnick also described Trump’s trade strategy as a “staircase”, where countries that moved early received better terms. He claimed India was given a limited window—described as “three Fridays”—to finalise the agreement.
According to Lutnick, when India did not meet this timeline, the US proceeded with other countries and later told India that the opportunity had passed.
India’s response makes it clear that talks were active, leadership-level engagement did take place, and negotiations have been ongoing for nearly a year. The MEA has underlined that discussions are continuing and that India remains open to concluding a trade deal that works for both nations.
(By arrangement with livemint.com)
