Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 9: India on Friday rejected remarks by the US Commerce Secretary suggesting that a proposed bilateral trade agreement failed to materialise because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not personally call US President Donald Trump, saying the characterisation of the negotiations was “not accurate”.

Responding to the comments, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India and the United States had been committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement since February 13 last year. It said multiple rounds of talks had been held to arrive at a balanced and mutually beneficial deal.

“On several occasions, we have been close to a deal. The characterisation of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate,” the MEA said, adding that New Delhi remains interested in concluding a mutually beneficial agreement between the two complementary economies.

The ministry also dismissed suggestions of inadequate political engagement at the highest level, noting that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump spoke on the phone on eight occasions during 2025, covering various aspects of the wide-ranging India-US partnership.

The clarification came after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a podcast that a trade deal with India did not go through because Prime Minister Modi did not call President Trump to finalise the agreement. Lutnick claimed he had asked the Indian Prime Minister to speak directly to Trump but said India was “uncomfortable” doing so and was not ready to close the deal at the time.

He further said the US went ahead and concluded trade agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, assuming the India deal would be finalised earlier. According to him, when India later indicated readiness, the terms had changed.

India and the US have held six rounds of negotiations on the proposed bilateral trade agreement, including discussions on a framework to address 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods entering the American market.