February 04, 2026
"Modi-Trump Share a Very..." White House on India-U.S. Deal as BJP vs Congress at Home
In the wake of a high-octane year of tariff wars and diplomatic friction, a massive breakthrough has finally been reached: the India-US Trade Deal is officially here. But as the dust settles on the phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, the world is asking—who actually walked away with the win? Join us as we decode the "father of all deals" that has slashed US tariffs on Indian goods from a staggering 50% down to 18%. We dive into the controversial trade-offs, including Trump’s claim that India has agreed to halt Russian oil imports and commit to a jaw-dropping $500 billion "Buy American" pledge. Did Modi’s strategic patience pay off, or did Trump’s "reciprocal tariff" pressure force a surrender? From the impact on Indian MSMEs and the sensitive agri-sector to the skepticism surrounding Trump’s "friendship-based" diplomacy, we analyze whether this deal is a sustainable "mega-partnership" or a temporary truce in a volatile era. CNAS program director Lisa Curtis discusses these issues with Barkha Dutt.
Watch the full interview on Mojo Story.
More from CNAS
-
XI Jinping Looking to Bring North Korea Back Into China’s Orbit: Analyst
Video
Duyeon Kim, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, says her sources have informed her that Beijing is unhappy with Pyongyang’s growing relationship w...
By Duyeon Kim
-
Does the Quad Still Matter?
Commentary
Under the second Trump administration, some analysts have expressed growing pessimism about the group’s effectiveness, given the president’s apparent lack of interest in atten...
By Lisa Curtis
-
Thwarting Communications Blackout
Reports
Control over the physical means of transmitting information—the lifeblood of modern societies—has become a central area of contestation between Taiwan and the United States on...
By Jacob Stokes & Ryan Claffey
-
Pakistan’s Growing Regional Role
Video
Pakistan’s regional role is expanding — but what does it mean for the Middle East, the United States, and the Indo-Pacific? In a new MBN Digital Salon, Jeffrey Gedmin discusse...
By Lisa Curtis
