'PM Modi-Trump Held 8 Calls In 2025': India Rejects Lutnick's Claim On Stalled Trade Agreement

The Ministry of External Affairs has dismantled the narrative emerging from Washington that India-US trade talks stalled because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not personally call US President Donald Trump. Responding to remarks by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the MEA stated that Modi and Trump spoke eight times in 2025 alone, covering multiple aspects of the bilateral partnership. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India and the US have been engaged in structured negotiations on a trade agreement since February 2025, with several rounds of discussions bringing both sides close to a deal. Calling the US claim inaccurate, India made it clear that trade agreements are not concluded through personal pressure or political optics. The response also comes as the US escalates pressure over India’s Russian oil imports, including threats of punitive tariffs. India has reiterated that its decisions on energy and trade are driven by national interest and market realities. The message from New Delhi is clear: engagement with the US remains strong, but diplomacy will not be reduced to phone-call politics.