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COVER STORY OCTOBER 24, 2025 | The Indian Eye 4
TRUMP VS INDIA
PRESSURE AND
PATIENCE
From H-IB visa fees to Pakistan outreach and trade deal,
Washington’s pressure tests India’s patience — yet New Delhi’s quiet
confidence signals a more balanced relationship than ever before
OUR BUREAU
Washington, DC / New Delhi
resident Donald Trump’s sec-
ond term has entered a critical
Pphase for India-U.S. relations.
Despite the warmth of past public ap-
pearances and the symbolic gestures
of friendship, the tone between Wash-
ington and New Delhi has grown
noticeably sharper. The world’s two
largest democracies are still aligned
in principle on the need for a free In-
do-Pacific and deeper trade and tech-
nology ties, but the road ahead has
become bumpier. Trump’s brand of
transactional diplomacy—part show-
manship, part pressure politics—is
once again testing the limits of India’s
patience and pragmatism.
The latest flashpoint emerged
when the administration imposed
an extraordinary one-hundred-thou-
sand-dollar fee on every H-1B visa
petition, instantly sparking outrage
across corporate America. The U.S.
Chamber of Commerce, which rare- Despite his tough postures, Trump has maintained cordial relations with Prime Minister Modi (ANI File Photo)
ly confronts the White House so di-
rectly, filed a lawsuit challenging the domestic workers. But behind the partnership’s mutual benefit. India’s on American goods, from farm prod-
measure as unlawful. Neil Bradley, rhetoric lies a clear political calcu- restraint reflects maturity: it will de- ucts to medical devices. India count-
the Chamber’s Executive Vice Presi- lation. In an election year, cracking fend its interests firmly but without ers that U.S. subsidies and visa re-
dent, warned that the fee would make down on foreign labor plays well with theatrics. strictions distort the playing field just
it impossible for start-ups and small- his nationalist base, even if it under- While the visa dispute grabbed as much. Behind these exchanges lies
er businesses to use the visa program mines America’s own tech compet- headlines, it is the slow grind of a philosophical clash: Trump’s “Amer-
and would cripple innovation. For In- itiveness. New Delhi, though dis- trade negotiations that exposes the ica First” protectionism versus India’s
dia, whose citizens account for nearly pleased, has chosen not to respond deeper tension. The long-discussed push for “Atmanirbhar Bharat,” or
three-quarters of all H-1B profession- with public outrage. Indian officials India-U.S. trade deal, first floated self-reliance. Still, neither country
als, the impact was immediate. The have conveyed their concerns through during Trump’s earlier tenure, re- can afford to walk away. The United
visa hike directly threatens the Indian diplomatic channels, quietly remind- mains mired in disputes over tariffs States is India’s largest trading part-
information-technology sector, which ing Washington that the H-1B system and market access. Both sides insist ner, with bilateral commerce now ex-
has long been a backbone of the bilat- is not a loophole but a lifeline con- that talks are progressing, yet insiders ceeding 190 billion dollars, and both
eral economic relationship. necting two innovation economies. admit the pace is glacial. Trump’s ob- governments recognize that econom-
Trump justified the decision as Many of America’s top technology session with trade deficits has revived ic decoupling is not an option. One
part of his “Hire American” cam- firms are led by Indian-origin exec- old arguments. Washington accuses Indian negotiator likened the process
paign, portraying it as protection for utives, a fact that underscores the New Delhi of maintaining high duties Continued on next page... >>
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