The Indo-US relationship has always had its share of drama—sometimes Shakespearean, sometimes more Bollywood than Washington would like to admit. But the latest “ping-pong” of statements between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over tariffs has taken these theatrics to an entirely new level.
Trump, in his trademark style of diplomacy through tweets, decided that slapping a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods was the perfect way to reaffirm America’s greatness. As if that wasn’t enough, he upped the rhetoric by calling India a “dead economy,” warning that India may have to go begging to Pakistan for fuel, and even threatening sanctions if India dares to keep buying oil from Russia. If this was supposed to rattle New Delhi, Trump underestimated the patience of a man who has spent his entire career listening to political rivals in his own country hurl worse insults.
And just when one thought the verbal fusillade had peaked, in walked Peter Navarro, the White House’s trade hawk, who seems to have made it his full-time job to attack India. Day after day, Navarro has been spinning horror stories of India’s “unfair trade practices,” almost as if South Block has become his favourite punching bag.
Now, back home, Prime Minister Modi too faced his own chorus of instigations. Arvind Kejriwal, the eternal protester who thrives on the politics of disruption, demanded that India respond by slapping a 100 percent tariff on US goods. It was a tempting proposition—after all, what better way to look tough than to out-Trump Trump? But Modi, in his typical poker-faced style, refused to be dragged into a retaliatory spiral. Instead, he declared on public platforms that India will never allow any nation—without naming the US, of course—to bully it, and that he would ensure Indian farmers and other vulnerable sectors would not suffer due to American tariff tantrums.
This is where the ping-pong turned interesting. Even while accusing India of every imaginable sin on the trade front, Trump had a moment of uncharacteristic warmth, calling Modi a “great friend” and insisting that US-India relations remain “strategic.” To that, Modi returned the compliment, reminding the world that India values its partnership with Washington. The contrast was striking: Trump, oscillating between threats and affection, and Modi, calm and unprovoked, playing the perfect statesman who refuses to be baited.
Ironically, Trump’s barrage may have achieved what years of diplomatic backchanneling could not: pushing India, Russia, and China into deeper conversations at the SCO meeting in Beijing. It is one thing to isolate an adversary, quite another to push your supposed strategic partner into the arms of your competitors. If Trump thought India would cave under pressure, the SCO photo-ops told a very different story.
Yet Modi, ever the master of balance, used Trump’s own words to keep the larger strategic picture intact. He stressed that while trade disagreements are real, they must not derail the overall Indo-US partnership, which is vital in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. In other words, Modi reminded both his domestic critics and his international adversaries that global diplomacy is not a college debating club where shouting the loudest wins the day.
For Indians watching this spectacle, there is humour in the absurdity. Trump calls India a “dead economy” even as American firms queue up to invest in its growing markets. He threatens sanctions if India buys Russian fuel, conveniently forgetting that India’s energy needs are not governed by White House election cycles. And while Navarro rants about trade deficits, American tech giants happily make billions out of Indian consumers.
Perhaps the most sarcastic takeaway is this: for all the noise, both leaders know they need each other. Trump wants India as a counterweight to China; Modi wants American investment and technology. Neither can afford to let tariffs or loose talk sink the ship.
So, the ping-pong continues. Trump serves a smash; Modi returns with a cool drop shot. The world watches, laughs, and wonders who will blink first. But one thing is clear: in this match, it is Modi’s maturity, not Trump’s theatrics, that ensures the strategic posture of Indo-US ties remains firmly in play.
