Adapt to a Trumpian world order in a way that makes India great
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. How should India advance its interests in the Trumpian world that was inaugurated on Monday? As US president, Trump is expected to alter American and global norms on trade, migration, climate change, relations between government and business, the use of military might and more. His avowed goal is to make America great again (MAGA).
It is risky. Trumpian policies might hurt the US itself and the world at large. India must navigate its way through a world in flux, ruffling as few feathers as it can, while shielding its core interests.
Trump will be in power for four years. How long his ideas last after that is uncertain, which means New Delhi should not lock India into long-term commitments that harm our interests merely to accommodate short-term pressure from Washington. Let’s not rush into a trade pact with the US just to satisfy a mutual urge to announce a ‘deal.’ On trade, till there is clarity on the tariffs that Trump will actually adopt, which may differ from his rhetoric, there is nothing much we can do, except avoid locking ourselves into an agreement that runs a high risk of regret.
A sensible course would be to negotiate ad-hoc deals. For instance, if Trump wants lower import duties on big US motorbikes, we could grant him those, while seeking concessions in sectors that affect Indian industry more broadly. H1-B visas matter a lot to us, and, for the time being, Trump is backing advocates of visa liberalization like Elon Musk.
We should build on this disposition. Trump’s policies can change over his tenure. Our focus on expanding service exports from India should stay constant.
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