- 12 minutes ago
This edition of News Today focusses on the newly announced trade pact between India and the United States following a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump.
Category
đź—ž
NewsTranscript
00:00good evening hello and welcome you're with the news today your prime time destination news
00:06newsmakers talking points the big talking point tonight india and the united states have sealed
00:11their tariff pact but the devil lies in the details which is what we'll try and find out
00:18donald trump and narendra modi who blinked first is this the win-win deal or how should we interpret
00:26it we'll have all the details in a moment but first as always it's time for the nine headlines
00:33india and the united states sealed the long-awaited trade deal tariffs on india to reduce
00:40from 50 percent to 18 percent the government calls it a win-win deal
00:46opposition calls india u.s trade deal a sellout to washington says modi government has surrendered
00:55to donald trump according to raul gandhi union commerce minister piyush goel insists agriculture
01:02and dairy sectors will be fully protected
01:05after day two of another ruckus in parliament leader of the opposition raul gandhi writes to
01:15lok sabha speaker for not allowing him to speak on the president's address calls it a blot on
01:21democracy eight congress mp suspended for unruly behavior
01:25the mamtha banerji versus election commission poll war poll body war escalates
01:34tmc now mulls an impeachment motion against chief election commissioner gyanesh kumar
01:40bengal chief minister likely to appear in supreme court in person when a plea is heard tomorrow
01:46after a year of president's rule due to violence money poor to get a new chief minister
01:54methe leader yumnam khemchan singh elected as the bjp's legislature party leader
01:59amidst the controversy over the air india fuel switch defect aviation watchdog dgca rules out any
02:08malfunction malfunction says application of force in an incorrect direction may have caused the switch
02:14to move karnataka bjp protests demand suspension of a congress mlc after he called prime minister
02:22modhi a traitor nasir ahmad later apologizes for his comments supreme court slams whatsapp meta over
02:30its monopoly and force data sharing policies as they were making a mockery of the country's
02:35constitutionalism and elon musk led ex-offices raided across france in a probe linked to charges
02:43like circulation of sexual abuse content and child sexual abuse material in the form of deep fakes
02:52but let's turn to the story that we are breaking tonight the big story the u.s trade representative
03:07has now officially come on record on the indo-us trade deal jameson greer has said that has given
03:15some details of the trade deal that's likely now it's already been announced before the signing
03:22saying india maintains some protection around agriculture good so the u.s is admitting
03:28that india will maintain some protection around agriculture good greer has said india's industrial
03:35goods tariffs will drop to zero gradually greer says monitoring india's winding down of russian oil
03:43purchase remember yesterday donald trump in a tweet had said india had agreed to stop buying russian
03:49oil government sources are also saying that the 500 billion dollar goods from the u.s will be over a
03:56five-year period donald trump had tweeted about this also government sources saying india also gets zero
04:03duty benefits in some sectors government sources claiming that there will be a joint statement between
04:09the two sides in two to three days and government sources also saying we may get concessions specifically
04:15in auto and steel sectors but there is still of course as i said some question marks over specific
04:22details karishma asudhani the two principals have announced the deal their friendship welcomed it called
04:28it a win-win but there is still of course some uncertainty particular over sections like agriculture over
04:35the oil supply from russia and certain goods going down to zero as to zero tariffs as per the u.s president
04:45what are you picking up is this deal is still a deal in the making in terms of the just tying up the loose ends
04:54rajdeep this is definitely a deal in making in fact we are calling it the daddy of all deals
05:01just like the india and eu was being called as the mother of all deals but like you said the devil lies
05:08in the details and we're waiting for fine print to analyze more but i was speaking to a couple of
05:14key government officials in india's trade ministry who said that uh that the agri sector and the dairy
05:22sector have been well protected in this deal but there is some give and take that has happened
05:30and that had to happen because the deadlock and the labor of nine months had to be in some way
05:35resolved between both the countries now the fine print will give us more details but what has to
05:41key the key details that have to be looked into is one that we get to 18 from when the timeline that
05:48matters the most second what happens to section 232 which is the non-tariff lines and what happens to
05:54concessions under key other sectors like steel mining or say even automobile parts it's expected
06:00that india may also get some soft cushioning on that three in what sectors are we giving them zero
06:08percent duty and in what sectors are they giving us zero percent duty so all of this will be only
06:14revealed in fine print but the fine print is not yet prepared and this has officially come in from
06:19india's trade ministry that it's still being worked out the fact that both the leaders wanted to
06:25announce this was uh to end all the speculations that things are not moving ahead but yet the deal
06:31has to be completed has to be signed and then has to be implemented which could take some time however
06:37the announcement a joint statement uh on it being formally accepted via the administration through a
06:45fine print could come in next three days okay karishpa asudani uh thank you very much for those
06:50very specific details we'll of course wait to actually go through the fine print once the deal is
06:56actually before us remember all of this is now just 24 hours ago it was late last night that us
07:03president donald trump declared a new trade pact with india ending months of uncertainty claiming that
07:10prime minister narendra modhi and india had agreed to stop buying russian oil and purchase more from
07:15the us in exchange for tariffs that were being reduced now to 18 percent from the 50 percent that they
07:22were earlier the deal has been largely welcomed particularly by industry but questions still loom over
07:29whether india will fully stop russian oil imports how will sectors like steel and pharma be affected what
07:36exactly are the concessions that india has made when it comes to agriculture typically with parliament
07:43on the deal has also sparked fierce political reactions opposition leaders are accusing the
07:48government of compromising national interest with raul gandhi claiming that prime minister modhi has
07:53done this deal under pressure at the same time the government says this is a major win for exporters and
08:00proof that india's foreign policy strategy and a policy of patience has worked out take a look at our top story tonight
08:12a tariff deal announced in typical trumpian style
08:17u.s president donald trump on monday declared on truth social that a trade pact with india is finalized
08:23in his post that came shortly after a phone call with prime minister narendra modhi trump called the
08:31indian leader one of his greatest friends he claimed prime minister modhi has agreed to stop buying russian
08:37oil and to buy much more from the united states and venezuela trump then went on to say that out of
08:45respect for prime minister modhi he's lowering reciprocal tariff imposed on india from 25 percent to 18
08:51percent and in return india will move forward to reduce tariffs on u.s to zero
08:59trump added that new delhi will buy over 500 billion dollars of u.s energy technology agricultural
09:05and coal and many other products shortly thereafter prime minister modhi thanked trump on x for reducing
09:12the tariffs but left out the details outlined by trump a day later there is still no clarity with many
09:20questions hanging in the air will india stop buying oil from russia altogether will the same tariff apply
09:29on sectors like steel aluminium auto pharma etc which attract a different levy currently and most
09:36importantly how much agriculture products will india allow from the u.s union minister piyush goel
09:43hailed prime minister modi's leadership and friendship with trump crediting him for the trade deal but again
09:49failed to give any details 140 crore indians are celebrating a trade deal which is under final stages of
10:06detailing between the negotiating teams of both countries technical processes are completed
10:14that full details will be shared and will protect the sensitive sectors the interests of our agriculture
10:24and our dairy sectors in full respect adding to the suspense u.s agricultural secretary brooke rollins in
10:35her social media post claimed the deal will export more american farm products to india's massive market
10:41and pump cash into rural america opposition is already crying sellout by the government leader of
10:48opposition rahul gandhi accused prime minister of acting under pressure
10:52narendra modi jay ka jy ka jo image ka gubbara hai hai hai hai hai yo hazaaron kron paper lekar bina
11:01ya tu hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai hai cha hap
11:06I will put it in the trade deal with your work, your food and food, Narendra Modi Ji has
11:20sold it. And he has sold it for this, because it is compromised.
11:28There is a case of Adani Ji on the United States. Epstein files, there is no release.
11:34It has not been released.
11:36Adani Ji's case is actually Modi Ji's case.
11:41Because it is a BGP financial structure and Modi Ji's financial structure.
11:46So these are two pressure points.
11:49And you understand this and the country understand that Pradhan Mantri is compromised.
11:55While some are questioning the practicality of zero-duty imports from the US,
12:00the 18% tariff comes as relief for Indian exporters reeling from 50% tariffs that made the American markets out of their reach.
12:09The deal caps months of confrontation, grandstanding and brinkmanship
12:14and resets ties between two of the world's largest democracies.
12:18Bureau Report, India Today.
12:26Okay, let's first raise the unanswered questions.
12:29Which farm products from the US will be allowed?
12:33That's not clear.
12:34Will India stop buying Russian oil?
12:36The Russians say they have received no communication that India will stop buying Russian oil.
12:40As Donald Trump has claimed, India has also made no clarifications.
12:44Will India buy costlier US and Venezuela oil and energy?
12:49No clarity on that as yet.
12:51Will the US withdraw the 5% tariff that it had imposed in 2019 on countries like India?
13:00Probably.
13:01But we need complete certainty on that.
13:03Over how many years will India buy the 500 billion US goods?
13:08Government sources are saying it will be over the next five years.
13:12But again, we await a formal clarification.
13:160% Indian tariff on certain US goods?
13:20Possibly.
13:21But which are those goods?
13:23Still unclear.
13:24So there are still big questions to be raised and I want to raise now the big questions before our debate.
13:29Here on this program, you get the questions that other channels don't raise.
13:35Trump versus Modi.
13:37Who blinked?
13:38Win-win or one-sided deal?
13:41Can mercurial Trump be trusted?
13:44Indo-US deal.
13:46Has Modi shown that it's the art of the possible and of patience?
13:51Joining me now, our special guest.
13:53Ambassador Atul Keshav is President of the U.S.-India Business Council at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
13:59Sayyad Akbaruddin, former Permanent Representative of India to the UN, one of our more distinguished diplomats.
14:05Lisa Curtis is Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for New American Security.
14:12We also hope to be joined by Nisha Biswal, partner in the Asia Group and a former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia.
14:19I also have two guests who I recorded with earlier.
14:24Mr. Grossman is joining me.
14:28Derek Grossman, National Security and Indo-Pacific Analysis Professor at the University of Southern California.
14:34He joins me from Los Angeles and Dr. Mukesh Aagi, President and CEO of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum.
14:43Both of them are recorded earlier.
14:45Do keep that in mind.
14:46But I want to go to my live guests first.
14:48And I want to come to you, Sayyad Akbaruddin, because you've tracked India-U.S. relations, diplomacy.
14:54Should we see this, as the government says, as a win-win deal or await the details before we can celebrate?
15:01So Rajdeep, first of all, let's acknowledge that this is not a classical trade deal or a classical trade agreement.
15:10It's a Trump-era tariff declaration.
15:13So what happens in these sort of deals are the announcements come first, public sentiment and markets move.
15:22The legal text comes later.
15:24And it's not new only with India.
15:26It's with other countries, too.
15:28So if you want to have a comparison, maybe you could look at in terms of a peace settlement.
15:34First, there is a truce or a ceasefire.
15:37And then a settlement is worked out with the details.
15:40And that's where we are.
15:41We've moved into a truce.
15:43And now the settlement is being worked on.
15:45And as the Indian Minister, Mr. Piyush Goyal mentioned, that the final details are being worked out.
15:52So let's understand that this is where we are in the phase.
15:56No, but then how do we celebrate?
15:58With due regard, Mr. Akbaruddin, then how do we call it the daddy of all deals, celebrate, if you're saying that?
16:04Because in such deals, then the devil can lie in the details.
16:07We've seen what Donald Trump has done in the past with countries like South Korea.
16:11Sure.
16:12But let's look at what is not contested.
16:16That the tariff stack that we had, which was 50%, which was punitive in nature,
16:24that nobody is disputing, that is coming down to 18%.
16:28Sure.
16:29So that's not an issue of debate.
16:3218% is a substantial reduction, not because it was lesser before, but because the world has changed.
16:41That world of 3% to 4% of tariff is gone.
16:44The new world where Indian products are competitive at about 20%, we got 18%.
16:50So that's the big achievement there, that today, what was six months earlier not possible, is now possible.
16:58And that's an achievement.
17:00But we also need to see it in broader terms, Rajdeep.
17:04Tariff amounts are one aspect.
17:06But the India-US relationship is not only about tariffs.
17:10It's about investment.
17:11It's about innovation.
17:12It opens up all these other factors.
17:15Finally, let's not forget the geopolitical significance of this deal.
17:21India's long-term central challenge lies with our northern neighbor.
17:27And we can't take on two big powers simultaneously.
17:32So, we have made peace with one, so that we can address the challenges of the other neighbor.
17:38So, geopolitically, economically, and politically, this is a big deal.
17:44It's only that we have to find out the details.
17:46But the broader trajectory is pretty well clear to all of us.
17:50I think that's very well put, Syed Akbaruddin.
17:53Ambassador Keshav, after a summer of turbulence, of an unsettled environment where Donald Trump unilaterally
18:00decides that India will have 50% tariffs, including 25% penalty for buying Russian oil,
18:06do you believe that the announcements in itself signal the importance of this relationship?
18:11And, therefore, it should be seen in that context, before we go into the nitty-gritty of the deal,
18:16that the fact that these two democracies have finally got their relationship at least on the right track,
18:23that what was haunting this relationship over the last six months was this tariff barriers that the U.S. had put up.
18:30At least those are slowly but surely being withdrawn.
18:33We now go back to 18%.
18:35And that's much better than many of our neighbors.
18:38Absolutely, Rajdeep.
18:41You know, I take a very long view of U.S.-India relations.
18:44And this deal agreement sends a very powerful psychological message.
18:48If you think about it, when negotiations happen between governments,
18:52virtually everything across the landscape of the bilateral relationship gets paused while those negotiations are taking place.
18:59Now, that's not to say that the important work of counterterrorism and law enforcement and national security didn't happen,
19:06but they do get subordinated to a negotiation process.
19:09When the two leaders announce that a deal has been struck,
19:12then it's almost like ending the pause button and hitting the play button on a wide variety of initiatives.
19:18So, Minister Jai Shankar is in Washington today for a critical minerals summit tomorrow.
19:23That's very important.
19:24Our countries need to talk about the nuclear renaissance.
19:27We need to talk about the future of the energy economy of the world,
19:31semiconductors, quantum computing, AI, defense production.
19:35The list is endless, but this announcement sends a very powerful psychological message,
19:41not just across the two government landscapes,
19:43but across the business communities who are investing and trading in both directions and crave predictability.
19:49So, I'm very happy about the psychological impact.
19:52I think you will see the delight in the details, not the devil in the details.
19:57At the end of the day, it is clear that both bureaucracies put in a lot of work.
20:01Ambassadors Gore and Quattro deserve a lot of credit for being the catalysts.
20:05Piyush Goyle, Jameson Greer, so many folks worked so hard to bring this to where it is.
20:10And I think what you've seen is a great deal of willingness by both bureaucracies to be flexible,
20:15to try new things, to advance the meta objective of $500 billion in trade in goods and services between the U.S. and India.
20:23We're still woefully underpowered.
20:25And then to move on all of the other elements of our agenda.
20:28You know, there's a word that was just used, predictability, Lisa Curtis.
20:32How do you have predictability in a Trumpian world order?
20:35I mentioned South Korea.
20:37We've seen with other countries, Donald Trump arbitrarily can suddenly decide one day
20:41that he's going to impose fresh sanctions or tariffs.
20:44We're seeing it now with Iran.
20:46And that has put, you know, he wants countries that deal with Iran will have sanctions imposed on that.
20:51That compromises potentially, and I'll come later to Husayyad Akbaruddin on this, the Chabahar Port Project.
20:56Should we, though, treat, should we trust Donald Trump?
21:00When Donald Trump tweets in the manner that he does, unilaterally announces, for example,
21:05that India will stop buying Russian oil.
21:07Should we see Donald Trump as someone who's trustworthy, a trustworthy ally and a predictable ally?
21:15Well, certainly, President Trump is less than predictable.
21:21We've seen that on many fronts.
21:24But I think when it comes to the U.S.-India trade negotiations, he was pretty consistent about wanting to see India stop importing Russian oil.
21:35This was a constant in what he talked about when he talked about the U.S.-India trade negotiations.
21:42And the fact that he said, you know, he got agreement from Prime Minister Modi to halt Russian oil imports.
21:50I think that was a major part of why this deal was concluded.
21:55There was probably so many other factors that went into it.
21:59Perhaps it was seeing the conclusion of the India-EU free trade agreement last week that also put some pressure on the Trump administration to get this U.S.-India trade deal across the line.
22:14But I think it is a win-win for both sides.
22:19It's a win for India because now we see the tariffs reduced.
22:24You know, these were some of the highest tariffs in the world that India faced, 50% tariffs.
22:30You know, quite remarkable.
22:33And so now seeing those come down to 18%, that will be a huge relief to Indian traders and exporters.
22:41And it's a win for the United States because, as I have said many times on this station as well as many other outlets, that the U.S.-India relationship is important for strategic reasons for the United States.
22:59And I think it was important for this deal to be closed so that the U.S. could get back to the job of building Indian trust, trying to get that relationship back on track.
23:13It's not going to be easy, even though this is a significant step forward.
23:18And as Ambassador Keshap said in his remarks, it's an opportunity to start moving forward on all those areas that U.S. and India were cooperating, whether it's critical minerals, AI, pharmaceuticals, you name it.
23:34There are so many areas that there are opportunities for our two countries to move together.
23:39That work can it's been continuing, but now it can start up in earnest.
23:46But I think that, you know, the point is this is not going to be easy.
23:52And also, let's not forget, it's not only the trade issue that caused the tensions in the relationship over the last 10 months.
23:59It's also about how the Trump administration handled the aftermath of the India-Pakistan conflict and the differences between the two sides on how that ceasefire came about.
24:11So I think, you know, we have taken a major step forward, but we're not out of the woods.
24:17There has been a stumble in the relationship.
24:22There's been some damage done to the trust levels, and that's not going to come back overnight.
24:30Okay, I'm going to, you know, I've heard all three of you, and I think all three of you believe this is a positive step forward.
24:36In an uncertain, unpredictable world, it at least brings the relationship back on track.
24:42I think that would be a fair way to put it.
24:43Now, one of the few guests that I've spoken to today who actually has a different view is Derek Grossman.
24:50I spoke to the professor from the University of Southern California earlier, and I began by asking him, going through your tweets today, you're putting a few red flags on this Indo-U.S. trade deal.
25:02You seem to suggest that this is actually a win only for the United States, based purely on what Donald Trump has said.
25:09Why don't you believe this is a win-win deal for both countries?
25:11Why go only by what Donald Trump has said?
25:15Thanks for having me, and I don't.
25:17I think that when you consider how before Trump, the tariffs on most Indian goods into the United States were at approximately 2% to 3%,
25:31and now post the deal with Trump, you have an 18% tariff, reciprocal tariff, whereas most American goods are going to be getting in at a much lower rate to India.
25:46I can't really see how this is a good deal for India.
25:49And that, I think, is very unfortunate, because what we've seen over the last two-plus decades is a coming around on both sides, right, to making the relationship better.
26:03And that, I think, is now kind of just muddling along.
26:10You know, when Modi visited the White House early last year and met with Trump, it seemed like the relationship was going to pick up right where it left off.
26:20And it did for maybe a couple of months.
26:23But as we all know, the summer of 2025 was very bad for the U.S.-India strategic partnership.
26:30But that's precisely it.
26:31But that's precisely it.
26:32The summer of 2025 suggested a lot of instability, discord, tariffs being raised unilaterally, including the penalties.
26:39Given the fact, surely the, given that fact, surely the, now the new reality that the countries have come to an agreement of 18% reciprocal tariffs
26:48should be a sign that they are moving in the right direction, Professor Grossman.
26:54Yeah, I think, I think in general, a deal is better than no deal, right?
26:59That means the two countries are getting along.
27:02I mean, the free trade agreement was in draft form for at least a year, probably longer than that.
27:09And there was a lot of leadership politics at play, you know, will Modi call Trump in order to sign the deal?
27:17Will the, will the, you know, some of the finer details of it be worked out on the Indian side rather than the American side, right?
27:24And so, yeah, it's nice to have a deal, no doubt.
27:29But I guess what I'm arguing is that the deal is unfair to India.
27:34And I think that India should have tried to get much better than 18% as a reciprocal tariff.
27:43I mean, when you look by comparison at some of the other countries in your own region, right, they are getting maybe a little higher than 18%, but not much higher, right?
27:55I think Pakistan in particular is at 19%, right?
27:59So to kind of put India in that same boat, I think the United States is doing India a disservice.
28:06You want to, you want to respond to that, Syed Akbaruddin?
28:10Is the U.S. the sense that one gets, America is calling the shots, Syed Akbaruddin is what Professor Grossman suggested there to me at the moment.
28:20How do you look at it?
28:22Do you believe that, look at the U.S. Agriculture Secretary unilaterally putting out a tweet saying,
28:27we're now going to, this deal is a win-win for U.S. farmers, our trade deficit on agriculture with India is very high, it's going to come down lower.
28:36This has, of course, led to uncertainty.
28:38Will agriculture be opened up?
28:40If so, to what extent?
28:41Piyush Goel says, no, it's protected.
28:43These are the concerns.
28:45Do you believe that the Americans are trying to call the shots, put some kind of pressure on India, as is being suggested, particularly by opposition parties?
28:53So, Rajdeep, we need to understand that what this deal does is, it buys India space.
29:01It buys India space to sell more than what it was doing recently, to invest more, get more investments, and to negotiate from a steadier footing.
29:13Now, relief that it was previously less at 2 to 3 percent, that world is gone, Rajdeep.
29:20To be fair, it's now only comparative relief.
29:24So, if you look at it, between India and Pakistan, the tariffs were equal prior to the reciprocal tariffs.
29:34So, it's not worse than what it was before.
29:38And finally, I think we need to understand relief will never be permanent.
29:42Reversals will arrive, but we need to be able to engage.
29:47And this deal buys us the space to re-engage across the board and to try and steady the relationship in a manner that we can address challenges in the past.
29:56Now, you said that there could be a risk of President Trump changing his position.
30:03Yes, of course, there could be a risk.
30:06And that's how, but the risk is now lesser compared to what it was in the past.
30:12And all we can do is to look at the comparative equivalence, not some generic thing which was there in the past, which doesn't exist.
30:21The U.S. doesn't believe in the most favored nation treatment to anybody now.
30:26So, we can't expect them to say, well, I want to go back to 2 percent or 3 percent.
30:31That's out.
30:32Having said that, I also want to address one other issue, which was on the Russian oil that you raised in a generic manner.
30:40We need to understand that India was buying Russian oil not because of some ideological interest or some affinity with Russia.
30:51India was buying Russian oil because that was the best deal in a world where oil prices were fluctuating and the Russians were willing to give us at a lower price.
31:02Right. But now, with these other tariffs, if you do a calculation of do we gain from Russian oil or do we lose in terms of tariffs, you will realize that we are perhaps losing more than we are gaining.
31:18So, it's a spreadsheet and arithmetic is the decisive factor here, not any political arm twisting because arithmetic, the cost to the economy of all this is what matters.
31:33And I think we will be pragmatically enough to see if the economy is being effective adversely across the board.
31:44We need to shift like we shifted before.
31:46Okay. You know, you used an important word that this deal gives us space.
31:51Presumably, it gives us space. It gives us time to perhaps, at least for now, get this relationship back on track.
31:59But there is one critical issue, which is agriculture.
32:02And that has been a red flag that India has drawn.
32:04I just want to play what Prime Minister Modi has said because the opposition has gone ahead and said the interests of India's farmers could be compromised.
32:13Listen to what the Prime Minister had said earlier and then I'll come to my guests again.
32:16We have a red flag that the Prime Minister has gone ahead and said the interests of India's farmers could be compromised.
32:18We have a red flag that the Prime Minister has gone ahead and said the interests of India's farmers could be compromised.
32:23I am a
32:25I
32:27I
32:29I
32:31I
32:33I
32:35I
32:37I
32:39I
32:41I
32:43I
32:45I
32:47I
32:49I
32:51I
32:53I
32:55I
32:57I
32:59I
33:01I
33:03I
33:05I
33:07I
33:09I
33:11I
33:13I
33:15I
33:17I
33:19I
33:21I
33:23I
33:25I
33:27I
33:29I
33:31I
33:33I
33:35I
33:37I
33:39I
33:41I
33:43I
33:45I
33:47I
33:49I
33:51I
33:53I
33:55I
33:57I
33:59I
34:01I
34:03I
34:05I
34:07I
34:09I
34:11I
34:13I
34:15I
34:17I
34:19I
34:21I
34:23I
34:25I
34:27I
34:29I
34:31I
34:33I
34:35I
34:37I
34:39I
34:41I
34:43I
34:45I
34:47I
34:49I
34:51I
34:53I
34:55I
34:57I
34:59I
35:01I
35:03I
35:05I
35:07I
35:09I
35:11I
35:13I
35:15I
35:17I
35:19I
35:21I
35:23I
35:25I
35:27I
35:29I
35:31I
35:33I
35:35I
35:37I
35:39I
35:41I
35:43I
35:45I
35:47I
35:49I
35:51I
35:53I
35:55I
35:57I
35:59I
36:01I
36:03I
36:05I
36:07I
36:09I
36:11I
36:13I
36:15I
36:17I
36:19I
36:21I
36:23I
36:25I
36:27I
36:29I
36:31I
36:33I
36:35I
36:37I
36:39I
36:41I
36:43I
36:45I
36:47I
36:49I
36:51I
36:53I
36:55I
36:57I
36:59I
37:01I
37:03I
37:05I
37:07I
37:09I
37:11I
37:13I
37:15I
37:17I
37:19I
37:21I
37:23I
37:25I
37:27I
37:29I
37:31I
37:33I
37:35I
37:37I
37:39I
37:41I
37:43I
37:45I
37:47I
37:49I
37:51I
37:53I
37:55I
37:57I
37:59I
38:01I
38:03I
38:05I
38:07I
38:09I
38:11I
38:13I
38:15I
38:17I
38:19I
38:21I
38:23I
38:25I
38:27I
38:29I
38:31I
38:33I
38:35I
38:37I
38:39I
38:41I
38:43I
38:45I
38:47I
38:49I
38:51I
38:53I
38:55I
38:57I
38:59I
39:01I
39:03I
39:05I
39:07I
39:09I
39:11I
39:13I
39:15I
39:17I
39:19I
39:21I
39:23I
39:25I
39:27I
39:29I
39:31I
39:33I
39:35I
39:37I
39:39I
39:41I
39:43I
39:45I
39:47I
39:49I
39:51I
39:53I
39:55I
39:57I
39:59I
40:01I
40:03I
40:05I
40:07I
40:09I
40:11I
40:13I
40:15I
40:17I
40:19I
40:21I
40:23I
40:25I
40:27I
40:29I
40:31I
40:33I
40:35I
40:37I
40:39I
40:41I
40:43I
40:45I
40:47I
40:49I
40:51I
40:53I
40:55I
40:57I
40:59I
41:01I
41:03I
41:05I
41:07I
41:09I
41:11I
41:13I
41:15I
41:17I
41:19I
41:21I
41:23I
41:25I
41:27I
41:29I
41:31I
41:33I
41:35I
41:37I
41:39I
41:41I
41:43I
41:45I
41:47I
41:49I
41:51I
41:53I
41:55I
41:57I
41:59I
42:01I
42:03I
42:05I
42:07I
42:09I
42:11I
42:13I
42:15I
42:17I
42:19I
42:21I
42:23I
42:25I
42:27I
42:29I
42:31I
42:33I
42:35I
42:37I
42:39I
42:41I
42:43I
42:45I
42:47I
42:49I
42:51I
42:53I
42:55I
42:57I
42:59I
43:01I
43:03I
43:05I
43:07I
43:09I
43:11I
43:13I
43:15I
43:17I
43:19I
43:21I
43:23I
43:25I
43:27I
43:29I
43:31I
43:33I
43:35I
43:37I
43:39I
43:41I
43:43I
43:45I
43:47I
43:49I
43:51I
43:53I
43:55I
43:57I
43:59I
44:01I
44:03I
44:05I
44:07I
44:09I
44:11I
44:13I
44:15I
44:17I
44:19I
44:21I
44:23I
44:25I
44:27I
44:29I
44:31I
44:33I
44:35I
44:37I
44:39I
44:41I
44:43I
44:45I
44:47I
44:49I
44:51I
44:53I
44:55I
44:57I
44:59I
45:01I
45:03I
45:05I
45:07I
45:09I
45:11I
45:13I
45:15I
45:17I
45:19I
45:21I
45:23I
45:25I
45:27I
45:33I
45:35I
45:37I
45:43I
45:51I
45:52I
45:53unpredictable. He's transactional. We all know that. But giving in in any way to demands on
46:00reciprocal tariffs, I think, is ultimately going to cause more problems in the long run. It may
46:05cause short-term benefits for any country, not just India, for any country involved. You may
46:11experience a short-term bump. I mean, I saw the Indian stock market is doing very well now as a
46:17result of the news of the deal. But I can almost guarantee you that in the end, Trump will somehow
46:23change the nature of the deal somehow. You want to get a final word on that,
46:30Sayyad Akbaruddin, that in the short run, yes, win-win. We've got the relationship on track.
46:36In the long run, where does this relationship go? Has this been a turning point? Will Donald Trump
46:42now realize that India is an important strategic partner? Donald Trump has this strange habit of
46:49alienating allies and friends and actually cozying up to those who stand up to him,
46:55whether it's a Putin or China.
46:58So, Rajdeep, in the long run, we are all dead. That said, as you yourself mentioned, this deal
47:06buys us time. It buys us space. It doesn't buy us fully trust. But that doesn't mean to say that
47:14trust is the only factor between relations, between two nations. There are other factors.
47:22And turning that space into a convergence of interest is what we have to work on now. So,
47:30there is as much work now left to ensure that this deal turns into a win-win situation as it was to
47:38get to this deal. So, there's a long way ahead. And I think we will have to work towards it because
47:46we've had strategic convergence for 20 years. One year of dissonance should not derail that. And I think
47:55we need to keep that in mind that there are areas of strategic convergence between our two countries
48:00and they will prove to be resilient despite the difficulties that we've faced in the past and may
48:07continue to face in the future too.
48:09I think that's a good positive note on which to end this conversation. I really appreciate Lisa Curtis,
48:15Ambassador Keshav, Nisha Biswal and my guests who we recorded with earlier for joining me because
48:21we've got some very fine voices. I value the fact that you've come and shared your experience.
48:26We can only hope that when Donald Trump gets up tomorrow morning, he remembers that he's brought
48:32India's tariffs down to 18% and doesn't do a somersault. But for now, after a turbulent summer
48:39in particular, there is hope as 2026 takes us forward. India and the US, surely we have a shared
48:47partnership to benefit from in the future. Thank you all very much for joining us here on the show
48:54today. Let's turn to the other political face-off today. Mamta Banerjee escalating her battle over
49:00the SIR from the Supreme Court to the streets of Delhi, turning a legal challenge into a high-voltage
49:05political confrontation. Mamta Banerjee accused the Election Commission of bias and selective targeting
49:11even as the poll body has pushed back. Now the matter comes up before the Supreme Court
49:16where Mamta is likely to be present in the court itself. Take a look ahead of Bengal polls that other
49:23big battle. Mamta Banerjee has taken her SIR battle from the Supreme Court to the streets of Delhi,
49:31signaling she's in no mood to blink. What began as a legal challenge has now turned into a full-blown
49:37political confrontation. On Tuesday, the West Bengal CM once again lashed out at the Election
49:43Commission. She questioned why the EC did not conduct the SIR exercise in BJP-ruled Assam
49:49and why poll-bound states are being targeted over SIR.
49:54Actual, you see, four election-bound states. Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam. They are doing it
50:04three, only the opposition states. But not in Assam. Because this is double-engine state.
50:12The Chief Minister also alleged that victims of the electoral roll revision were not given an
50:17opportunity to defend themselves and that the Booth-level officers are being traumatized.
50:23More than 150 already died. Death case. It is more than NRC. The BLO families. Few are here.
50:36They also, because of settling every day, they are hospitalized also some people.
50:43Not just that, she also alleged that the Delhi police did not allow a family with a two and a half
50:49year old child to get meal from outside.
50:53Yesterday, even the two and a half year child was not allowed to bring the meal from the outsiders.
51:00Then I asked them. Thousands of police. I am not blaming them. I am blaming their master-minded people.
51:07This allegation comes hours after she had a rough encounter with the Delhi police, alleging torture and
51:14atrocities against Bengalis in Delhi. Mamata Banerji also doubled down on the charge of misbehavior by the CEC.
51:21The 90-minute meeting between the two sides turned dramatic on Monday.
51:45According to the poll body, the CEC answered Mamata Banerji's queries and listened to her
51:50patiently, contrary to what was presented by the West Bengal CEC.
51:57Meanwhile, the high-stakes Didi vs. EC battle over SIR will come up for hearing in the SC on Wednesday.
52:04Mamata Banerji could appear before the Supreme Court as well.
52:09Sources suggest that she has already received clearance from the top court for the same.
52:12As accusations and charges of misbehavior fly thick and fast, the TMC is considering an impeachment motion
52:19against against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
52:20The BJP says Mamata is scared of SIR.
52:23The BJP says Mamata is scared of SIR.
52:27The BJP says Mamata is scared of SIR.
52:34The TMC's hidden agenda is the fear of the SIR by taking the voter list.
52:41And taking the Muslim Guzpatia, taking the dead voter list, and taking the Muslim Guzpatia
52:45and taking the dead voter list.
52:46The SIR stand-off is fast becoming a high-stakes battle for Bengal.
52:48And if history is any guide, this is one fight Didi intends to take all the way.
53:02Khella hobay, indeed.
53:04Bureau Report, India Today.
53:09Okay, let's turn from there to our Get Real India story which comes from Maharashtra Nanded.
53:14A seven-year-old girl was allegedly killed by her own father.
53:18Not out of rage or disputes, but for political ambition.
53:21Police have now arrested a village Sarpanch because he had three children
53:26and wanted to qualify for a Sarpanch where there is a two-child norm.
53:31Here's Get Real India.
53:48A seven-year-old girl silenced forever, so that her father can realize his ambition.
53:59In Maharashtra's Nanded district, a man allegedly murdered his own daughter, not in rage, not
54:05in desperation, but to qualify for an election.
54:13Pandurang Kondamangre, a barber by profession, dreamt of becoming the Sarpanch of his village.
54:20Panchayat elections are due this June.
54:22The 28-year-old believed he could win.
54:26But one rule stood in his way.
54:29Under the Maharashtra Panchayatra Act, candidates must have only two children and he had three.
54:36Police have now arrested both Pandurang and Sarpanch Ganesh Shinde.
54:40A murder case has been registered against them.
55:08The alleged murder by Pandurang is a brutal reminder of how far greed can go.
55:14And how the girl child, despite many laws and government schemes, is still vulnerable.
55:20Bureau Report, India Today.
Comments