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India.com
14 minutes ago
- India.com
India-US Trade Deal: Aug 1 Deadline Nears... Will The Deal Be Sealed In Time? Piyush Goyal Shares Major Update
New Delhi: A small group of Indian trade negotiators has landed in Washington this week. Their task is urgent. They must try, once again, to untangle the long-pending India-U.S. trade deal that has seen too many rounds, too many delays and now stares down a hard deadline, August 1. The clock is ticking. U.S. President Donald Trump, now in his second term at the White House, has already fired off tariff letters to a long list of countries. Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Thailand and Cambodia, each has received a note – explaining in clear terms why new tariffs are coming. India has not received one. That is only because New Delhi and Washington are still talking. But if there is no deal before the deadline, the letter could arrive. Where Are The Talks Stuck? Washington wants India to lower its tariffs on American agricultural and dairy goods. Milk, wheat, poultry and genetically modified soy, all are on the table. New Delhi, however, is not moving. India's position has been clear. Its farm sector, dairy cooperatives, food security architecture, they cannot take a hit. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has said any agreement must benefit both sides. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has echoed that line. No pressure. No compromise on farmers. No backdoor trade-offs. So far, India has kept these sectors out of most trade deals, including with the United Kingdom and Australia. The same applies here. Indian Team Lands in Washington Led by Special Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, the Indian delegation is back in the U.S. capital, hoping to break the deadlock. The goal is to find a formula, something that can be signed off before Trump's August 1 deadline kicks in and the United States begins slapping tariffs across the board. Goyal says talks are moving 'at speed'. Speaking to reporters, he confirmed that the Indian side is focused on crafting an agreement that works for both countries. There is still time. Barely two weeks. But the message is that the window will not stay open for long. Trump's Tariff Playbook Trump is playing hardball again. Twenty-five countries have already been hit with his new tariff regime. Canada was slapped with 35 percent. Others have seen higher. But in India's case, the U.S. president has dropped a telling hint. While speaking about his global tariff strategy, he said that 'key trading partners' may see lower tariffs, around 15 to 20 percent. And not every country will get a formal letter. It is a signal that if India clinches the deal, it may escape the harshest penalties. Why India Won't Budge On Dairy & Agriculture Behind India's tough stance lies a deeper concern. According to a recent report from the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), any wide-scale entry of subsidised U.S. dairy or poultry goods could damage India's rural economy. Not only small farmers but food security itself could be hit. The report warns against opening the gates to American grain or genetically modified soybeans. Once these products enter Indian markets, they could displace local produce and crush pricing structures. This is not only about trade margins, this is about the long-term sustainability of Indian agriculture. Can A Deal Still Happen? If all goes well in Washington, negotiators may stitch together a limited package. It will not be a full-blown foreign trade agreement (FTA). But it could be enough to avoid Trump's tariff stick. Enough to show progress. Enough to keep the trade lanes open. A senior official said that a breakthrough is still possible before August 1. But it depends on what each side is willing to give, and what each insists on keeping off the table. Until then, all eyes remain on the U.S. capital.


The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
J&K making rapid strides on path of peace and prosperity: L-G Manoj Sinha
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said the Union Territory has been making rapid strides on the path of peace and prosperity under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, achieving all-inclusive growth and social justice, since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. While delivering a special lecture on 'Jammu and Kashmir Towards Peace' at Gandhi Smriti, at an event presided over by former Union Minister and Gandhi Smriti vice-chairman Vijay Goel, the Lieutenant-Governor said over the past five years, Jammu and Kashmir's economy had more than doubled. Mr. Sinha said under the Prime Minister's visionary leadership, the region was now connected to other parts of the country through railways. There was a massive increase in the influx of tourists with more than 5,000 new hotels constructed over the past four years in Kashmir valley itself. Several infrastructure projects were being implemented and many social welfare programmes launched. A key indicator of development was the ₹1,700-crore profit booked by J&K Bank, which had previously suffered a loss of about ₹1,300 crore. Taking advantage of the incentives being provided by the government, a large number of startups were now coming up. Several premier educational institutions had been set up for the local youth, which was committed to peace, prosperity, unity, and communal harmony in the region. Mr. Sinha said there was a fair and peaceful conduct of Assembly elections in J&K. 'No political party raised any doubt about the election process,' he said, adding that the Panchayati Raj system had also been implemented across the UT successfully. The Lieutenant Governor said after the abrogation of Article 370, no stone pelting incident was reported in the past few years. While earlier, terror outfits would radicalise and recruit an average of about 150 local youth per year, only six such instances were reported last year, and just one so far this year, which was a testimony to the fact that J&K residents were pro-development, he said. Terming the Pahalgam terror attack a conspiracy by Pakistan to trigger communal unrest and once again destabilise J&K, he said there was a spontaneous protest by the locals against the killings. Mr. Sinha said Operation Sindoor displayed the capability of the armed forces to deliver a befitting response to the Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, and that too using indigenous defence systems. 'Since Partition, terrorism has been the State policy of Pakistan,' he said, adding that the international community should work together to eliminate breeding grounds of terrorism.


The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
U.K.'s Southampton University opens campus in Gurugram
Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Wednesday inaugurated the India campus of the University of Southampton in Gurugram. The launch coincides with the fifth anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The University of Southampton, a QS Top 100 global institution and founding member of the U.K.'s Russell Group, becomes the first foreign university to operationalise a campus in India under the University Grants Commission's (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, said an official statement. Speaking at the event, Mr. Pradhan called it a 'momentous milestone' in the internationalisation of education, and a step forward in strengthening the India-UK education partnership envisioned in the India-U.K. Roadmap 2030. He expressed confidence that the new campus, backed by Southampton's academic legacy and offering a suite of forward-looking courses, would become a distinguished institution shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Pradhan said education is a 'living bridge' between the two countries, and the opening of the varsity's India campus would further fortify this bridge. Chief Minister Saini welcomed the university to Haryana and reaffirmed the State government's commitment to developing the region as a global hub for education and innovation. Mr. Pradhan invited other top global universities to come to India to co-create ecosystems of innovation, research, and education. 'Together, we must strive to build a bright future and drive innovation and progress,' he said. The Gurugram campus will offer globally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate programmes aligned with UK academic standards. Students will also have the opportunity to spend up to one year at the university's U.K. or Malaysia campuses. Programmes starting in 2025 include courses in Computer Science, Economics, Accounting & Finance, and Business Management, as well as courses in Finance and International Management.