Big message! PM Modi strikes defiant ‘Make in India' note in face of Trump's tariff & penalty threats; India to continue buying Russia oil
In the face of US President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs and warnings of additional penalty for trade with Russia, India is also hardening its stance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a defiant stance against Trump's tariff warnings, whilst encouraging people to buy locally made products.
The Modi government has also not stopped purchasing Russia's crude oil.
The United States has shifted its stance towards India, with President Trump now targeting the nation as part of his strategy to pressure Vladimir Putin regarding the Ukraine conflict. Trump's recent criticism specifically addressed India's participation in BRICS and its continued Russian relations, stating "they can take their dead economies down together."
PM Modi's Push For 'Swadeshi' Goods
On Saturday, PM Modi emphasised the necessity of protecting India's interests during global uncertainty. Modi's comments at a public gathering come at a time when the Donald Trump administration has imposed a 25% duty on Indian exports. The White House has also indicated potential additional measures if India continues its Russian oil imports.
Also Read |
India buying Russian oil an 'irritant' for Trump administration! How much crude does India get from Russia & will it stop after US penalty warning? Top 10 points
"The world economy is going through many apprehensions — there is an atmosphere of instability," Modi said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
"Now, whatever we buy, there should be only one scale: we will buy those things which have been made by the sweat of an Indian."
Modi's current focus on strengthening domestic production and consumption aligns with his established "
Make in India
" programme. This approach has become increasingly significant following the implementation of US tariffs.
At Saturday's rally, Modi said: "The interests of our farmers, our small industries and the employment of our youth are of paramount importance."
India Continues to Buy Russia's Crude Oil
According to sources who spoke to Bloomberg, the government has not directed refineries to cease Russian oil purchases, nor has any decision been finalized regarding the suspension of these imports. Both government-operated and private refineries retain the freedom to select their preferred suppliers, with multiple sources confirming that crude procurement remains a business decision.
The New York Times had reported on Saturday that India would continue purchasing Russian crude despite potential sanctions from Trump, according to two senior Indian officials.
Also Read |
Donald Trump's 25% tariff: India expects minimal impact; indicates agriculture, dairy, GM food no-go areas in trade deal talks
European Union and US authorities have criticised Indian refiners for supporting Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine through oil purchases. India has emerged as a big buyer of Russian seaborne crude exports, increasing its imports from negligible levels to approximately one-third of its total oil imports, taking advantage of reduced prices.
Whilst China remains Russia's main economic and diplomatic ally, Trump's influence over the world's second-largest economy is restricted because Beijing controls rare-earth magnets essential for US high-tech manufacturing.
Recent months have seen US-China discussions aimed at improving relations after both nations increased tariffs on each other's products beyond 100% earlier this year.
India maintains its strong relationship with Russia, which has been a major arms supplier since the Cold War era. The relationship represents a "steady and time-tested partnership," according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal's statement on Friday.
Jaiswal emphasised that India's bilateral relationships with different nations are independent and should be evaluated on their own merit, not through another country's perspective. Regarding US relations, he expressed confidence in continued positive progress.
A senior official in New Delhi confirmed on Friday that American trade negotiators are expected to visit India in late August for bilateral deal discussions.
The official said that India would maintain its position on restricting US access to its dairy and agriculture sectors, considering political and religious factors.
Also Read |
'More likely to happen in Lagaan, than...': Harsh Goenka mocks Trump's 'Pakistan may sell oil to India' suggestion; here's the reality of Pak's 'massive' reserves
US Wants India To 'Get Real'
America's new diplomatic position represents a significant departure from previous policy, which had traditionally accepted India's longstanding Russian relationship whilst cultivating India as a strategic partner to balance China's influence in Asia.
Trump's current approach suggests he is prepared to sacrifice this established diplomatic framework in his pursuit to influence Putin and seek resolution to the Ukrainian conflict, the Bloomberg report said.
Stephen Miller, serving as Trump's deputy chief of staff, alleged on Sunday that India was imposing huge tariffs on US products and manipulating the American immigration framework, whilst purchasing Russian oil quantities similar to China's imports.
"President Trump, he wants a tremendous relationship and has had always a tremendous relationship with India and the prime minister," Miller said. "But we need to get real about dealing with the financing of this war."
"So, President Trump, all options are on the table to deal diplomatically, financially and otherwise with the ongoing war in Ukraine, so we can achieve peace," Miller added.
Also Read |
Donald Trump's 25% tariff, 'dead economy' jibe: India sends clear message to the US in 5 points - what Piyush Goyal said
Stay informed with the latest
business
news, updates on
bank holidays
and
public holidays
.
Discover stories of India's leading eco-innovators at Ecopreneur Honours 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
a minute ago
- Economic Times
Donald Trump goes off the rails over Epstein, again blames Barack Obama in explosive new meltdown
Donald Trump is again blaming Barack Obama. He claims Obama plotted against his presidency. This comes as Trump faces scrutiny over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump accuses Obama of a 'coup'. He says Obama tried to undermine his win. Tulsi Gabbard supports Trump's claims. She alleges Obama created false evidence. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is Trump reviving the 'coup' narrative now? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What does Tulsi Gabbard allege about Barack Obama? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads How is Donald Trump responding to renewed Epstein scrutiny? FAQs US President Donald Trump is lashing out again, this time deflecting questions about Jeffrey Epstein by reviving old allegations against Barack Obama. In a flurry of Truth Social posts, Trump accused Obama of planning a "coup" to undermine his 2016 election win. His allies support him, but critics call it a distraction. Now, a tragic twist involving a known Epstein victim has emerged in Trump's pressure mounts, Trump resurrects debunked claims, promotes conspiracy theories, and accuses Obama-era intelligence officials of treason in a fiery Trump is reiterating the discredited conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama orchestrated a "coup" following the 2016 election, vehemently asserting that those implicated "must pay," as quoted in a report by The Daily to a report, in a series of Truth Social posts, Trump has reverted to his previous strategy, diverting his MAGA supporters from the intensifying Epstein files controversy by reiterating unfounded allegations against Obama and senior U.S. intelligence officials who determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.'The Russia, Russia, Russia HOAX is now TOTALLY UNDISPUTED! THE FACTS ARE ALL THERE, IN BLACK AND WHITE,' Trump asserted on Truth Social Friday morning. 'It is the biggest scandal in American History. The perpetrators of this CRIME must pay a big price. This can never be allowed to happen in our Country again!'Trump went one step further and posted a video from The Daily Signal in which right-wing pundit Victor Davis Hanson claimed that Obama-era intelligence officers were planning to "destroy" him following his victory over Hillary Clinton. "The crime of the century must be paid for by them," Trump continued, as per a Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, made accusations earlier this month that are the source of the most recent attacks. Using recently declassified documents as support, she asserted that Barack Obama and top national security officials engaged in a "treasonous conspiracy" to create false proof of Russian election meddling in order to sabotage the validity of the 2016 election order to undermine Trump's triumph, Gabbard claimed that Obama and senior intelligence officials purposefully produced phony evidence of Russian intervention. This was a concerted attempt, she claimed, to undermine the legitimacy of the new government right away, as quoted in a report by The Daily also charged Obama's team with creating the framework for what she called a "years-long coup" against Trump by spreading false material to support attacks on his accusations are based on a purported inconsistency in January 2017 U.S. intelligence reports. Although the studies determined that Russia conducted an influence effort to support Trump's campaign, she says there are unverified reports that Moscow manipulated vote counts to Trump's Obama administration has maintained that Russia did not alter any vote totals or compromise American voting machines in spite of these allegations.A bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report from 2020 verified that Russia did try to use influence operations to support Trump's 2016 Obama's team and independent agencies have repeatedly confirmed that no vote totals were recent flurry of posts that target Barack Obama arrived as his relationship with convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein, who passed away in August 2019, comes under increasing has long claimed he cut ties with Epstein over a 'business dispute,' but now suggests the fallout stemmed from Epstein 'stealing' young staff members from Mar-a-Lago.'He took people. I said, 'Don't do it anymore,' because they work for me,' Trump said, referring to his former resort Trump's supporters, including Dan Scavino, applaud his online offensive, others see it as a calculated effort to divert attention away from the Epstein FBI's previous investigation into Hillary Clinton's alleged efforts to link Trump to Putin resurfaced in his posts, though analysts note that much of that claim could be attributed to Russian is claiming that Obama orchestrated a plot to delegitimize his presidency without providing any Trump's comments have resurfaced as public attention returns to his past ties with Jeffrey Epstein.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 minutes ago
- First Post
Why Ukraine is betting big on its interceptor drones in war against Russia
Though Russia has used drones to hit Ukraine since the beginning of the war, Moscow has taken things to a different level recently. Russia in July alone launched over 6,000 drone strikes across Ukraine including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Lviv leaving dozens dead and hundreds injured. read more The Ukraine war in a new phase. Though Russia has used drones to hit Ukraine since the beginning of the war, Moscow has taken things to a different level. Russia in July launched over 6,000 drone strikes across Ukraine including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Lviv leaving dozens dead and hundreds injured. That's the most in any month since the beginning of the war in 2022. On July 9 alone Russia launched over 700 strikes against Ukraine using its Iranian-made Shahed drones. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ukraine is now attempting to combat Russia's attacks via interceptor drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month urged companies in Ukraine to boost manufacturing and production of these drones. 'I met with representatives of this production and with other manufacturers. Our request is 1,000 interceptors per day,' Zelenskyy said. But what do we know about interceptor drones? How do they work? Why are they so important to Ukraine? Let's take a closer look Interceptor drones and how they work First, let's take a closer look at interceptor drones. While drones are Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs), interceptor drones are UAVs built to find, follow and destroy other drones and airborne threats. These drones are built to actively engage with threats. They work autonomously or semi-autonomously. They come with features such as advanced sensing, autonomous navigation capabilities in order to maneuver at high speeds, recognising targets automatically and precision hovering. They are also equipped with net launchers, electronic jammers, and kamikaze-style impactors. They use advanced navigation tech like AI-powered inertial navigation systems. They work by using their radar, spotters or sensors to spot incoming threats. Some are synced up with a country's air defence network. This allows them to respond to threats in real time – at a fraction of the cost of missile systems or ground-based radar systems. Once they intercept enemy UAVs, they can either ram into them – known as the Kamikaze method – use nets and even explosives to down the enemy's object. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD These interceptor drones are smaller than other UAVs and faster – which allows them to intercept – as well as highly manouverable. For example, experts say the Shahed drones Russia is using can fly between 200 and 300 kilometres per hour. They are also more effective when they are autonomous. As Lyuba Shipovich, CEO of Dignitas, which helps train Ukrainian soldiers on interceptors, told The Interpreter, 'You can't expect to have 700 operators for 700 drones during a mass strike like the ones we're seeing now. AI allows us to launch swarms of interceptor drones without that limitation.' Though they are more expensive than regular drones, they do not cost nearly as much as other defensive systems. Anti-aircraft missiles, for example, can cost as much as $1 million (Rs 8.5 crore), while surface-to-air missiles can cost between $40,000 (Rs 34.98 lakh) and $100,000 ( Rs 87.44 lakh) A single interceptor drone can cost as little as $5,000 (Rs 4.39 lakh). Kamikaze interceptor drones are even cheaper, costing as little as $200 (Rs 20,000) to $2000 (Rs 2.20 lakh). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For Ukraine's armed forces that's a downright bargain. Why are they important to Ukraine Because interceptor drones can combat Russia's Shahed drones, which have become a menace in Ukraine. The Russian strategy has been to overwhelm Ukraine and demoralise its defenders through sheer numbers. In July, Russia sent 6,297 long-range drones into Ukraine. That figure is 14 times what it was in July 2024, when Russia sent around 400 drones. From June 1 to June 20, Russia hit Ukraine with 3,681 Shahed drones and fake UAVs. This completely disrupted the rhythm of Ukraine's defenders. A year ago, the monthly average was at around 600 UAVs per month. Experts say these are estimates and that real numbers may even be higher. Worse, Russia is ramping up its production of Shahed drones to nearly 100 UAVs per day. They now fly two to four kilometres above the ground – putting them out of reach of ground fire. Kyiv predicts Moscow will be looking to manufacture 30,000 long-range drones and two million FPV (first-person-view) drones this entire year. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month urged companies in Ukraine to boost manufacturing and production of these drones. AP Which is why Ukraine is betting big on interceptor drones. Indeed, Zelenskyy even said the same at the G7 in Canada in June. 'In particular, we are working on interceptor drones to enhance protection against Shaheds', Zelenskyy said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Many Ukrainian companies are already working on this task. Wild Hornets, a non-profit group making UAVs for Ukraine, has had great success with its Sting interceptor drone against the Shahed drones. 'You can make a drone, for example, at a firm like us, fast, cheap, and en masse,' a company representative told the Kyiv Independent. 'While missiles for an S-300 are unique technologies, that maybe, seems to me, a few companies in the world can make, and more than half of those are in Russia.' Even though Ukraine has been the world's largest importer of weapons from 2020 to 2024 and is buying millions of drones, experts say it isn't doing enough. They say it needs to ramp up production even further to counter Russia. 'Russia is going to bomb our entire country with Shahed drones. They have significantly increased production and will continue to do so. If we don't act immediately, our infrastructure, our production and our defence systems will be destroyed', military and communications expert Serhiy Beskrestnov wrote on social media. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, it is important to note that these interceptor drones are no silver bullet. 'We're already using them, and we are expanding their use. But they can't replace everything. We have to understand that anti-drone air defence is a complex system,' Yuriy Ignat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian air force, told The Telegraph. 'First, they don't have a very long range – only a few dozen kilometres. Secondly, you need to scale up the depth of territory they cover. They only work locally. And they can't always fly, in bad weather, fog, and so on.' Simply put, they are an important piece of Ukraine's defence puzzle.
Indian Express
3 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trump praises ‘registered' Republican Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad, bashes ‘woke' Taylor Swift
US President Donald Trump criticised carmaker Jaguar and pop star Taylor Swift in a new post on his social media platform Truth Social, while praising actress Sydney Sweeney for her recent advertisement with American Eagle. In the post, President Trump said Sydney Sweeney, who is a registered Republican, has 'the hottest ad out there' and that the American Eagle jeans she promoted are 'flying off the shelves.' He encouraged people to support her by saying, 'Go get 'em Sydney!' Trump then criticised Jaguar for what he described as a 'woke' advertisement, which he said had damaged the brand. He claimed the company is now in 'absolute turmoil' and noted that the CEO had resigned. 'Who wants to buy a Jaguar after looking that disgraceful ad?' he wrote. He compared Jaguar's situation to that of Bud Light, saying the beer brand was hurt financially after launching a campaign that he viewed as too progressive. 'The market cap destruction has been unprecedented, with billions of dollars lost,' Trump said, according to AP. The President also claimed he destroyed Swift's popularity when he posted to Truth Social in May that the megastar was 'no longer hot.' 'Or just look at Woke singer Taylor Swift. Ever since I alerted the world as to what she was by saying on TRUTH that I can't stand her,' he wrote. The post reflects President Trump's ongoing criticism of brands and public figures he sees as aligning with liberal causes, AP noted.
