Trump says “Nothing to Worry About” in US-India Ties Despite 50% Tariffs

US President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday there was “nothing to worry about” in the US–India relationship.

He said he will “always be friends” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even as his administration has pushed ahead with punitive tariffs of as much as 50% on many Indian goods to penalise New Delhi’s purchases of Russian energy. “We just have moments on occasion,” Trump said, adding that he did not “like what he’s doing at this particular moment.”

Negotiations between the two countries have stalled and trade talks remain on hold after a US delegation cancelled a visit to India in August, officials and media reports say. The tariffs, rolled out in stages this summer, followed weeks of diplomatic friction over India’s energy ties with Moscow and mark a sharp escalation in economic pressure from Washington.

PM Modi’s Response

Prime Minister Modi responded to Trump’s remarks by thanking the US president and saying he “deeply appreciates” the positive assessment of bilateral ties, calling the relationship “forward-looking” and rooted in shared strategic interests. Indian ministers have said New Delhi remains engaged with Washington even as it defends its energy choices on economic grounds.

Senior US officials and advisers struck a far tougher tone on Thursday, accusing India of funding Russia’s war effort by continuing to buy discounted Russian crude.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Bloomberg that India “needs to pick a side” and called continued oil purchases “ridiculous,” warning that the US consumer and the dollar are at stake if New Delhi does not change course. White House economic advisers echoed disappointment while some Trump aides went further in public remarks.

Analysts warn the dispute could inflict real economic pain on Indian exporters while complicating strategic cooperation on defence and technology.

The immediate outlook will hinge on whether New Delhi rethinks its energy purchases, whether US negotiators return to the table and how quickly both sides can move from public recrimination back to quiet diplomacy. For now, leaders in Washington and New Delhi are attempting to thread a needle between personal rapport at the top and sharply divergent policy choices below.