BENGALURU: United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed the US-India trade deal has stalled because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not call President Trump, adding uncertainty to the much-anticipated agreement. External Affairs Minitrsy rejected the claim as “not accurate,” and said Modi and Trump spoke eight times in 2025.
Six rounds of negotiations have taken place, but Lutnick suggested changing conditions mean India may no longer receive the previously arranged deal. Amid growing geopolitical headwinds, an expert called for a swift reset of India’s foreign and domestic policies to navigate a shifting global order.
“India has to adjust quickly and thoroughly to survive in this environment of growing imperialism. Imagine being pressured from outside to change our independent foreign policy, which would hurt our global position and stability at home. As old rules fade, survival depends on strong internal balance, not just words,” Brigadier Anil Raman, a research scholar on US domestic politics and foreign policy from the Bengaluru-based Takshashila Institution, told this newspaper.
“India needs to fix its weaknesses, reduce social tension, close gaps in governance, and become more unified. Fast administrative reform is essential, since slow progress will not keep up with competition. Military improvements need strong industry and reliable supply chains. India’s government must be built to last, focusing on unity and capability. Weakness inside the country invites outside pressure and division,” he said.
Raman spoke on the near collapse of rules-based order and rise of personality-based imperialism. The signs of this became clear after the US abducted sitting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife from their heavily-guarded location in Caracas last weekend.
“Right after the Venezuela operation, the Trump administration made its intentions clear. Top officials, including the President, told the press and repeated on Air Force One that the United States would ‘run’ Venezuela and control its oil resources ‘for America.’ This is the most direct statement of imperial intent from a US administration since the Cold War ended. This signals a major change in international politics,” said the researcher.
“Instead of just intervening, the US is openly saying it plans to run another country and take its key resources. The Trump Corollary, described in the 2025 National Security Strategy, shows this shift by openly overriding other countries’ sovereignty. This move from theory to action highlights changing power shifts. This is imperialism at its most obvious: one country using force or political control over another,” said Raman.
He explained that power creates hierarchy, justified by what is useful, not by law or values.