How India bypassed Trump’s tariff push:From shifting Russian oil strategy to sealing trade deals across the globe, all about New Delhi’s 2025 geo-economic moves

When US President Donald Trump dusted off his hard-line tariff playbook in 2025, India quickly found itself under pressure. Washington asked New Delhi to cut import duties, reduce wide tariff gaps, change oil trade strategy with Russia, and align more closely with an increasingly protectionist US trade agenda. India chose a quieter path. Rather than pushing back publicly, New Delhi took a calculated approach. Talks with the US were slowed, trade relationships were broadened and energy ties with Russia were strengthened. At the same time, India signed a series of trade agreements with partners across regions, steadily reducing its reliance on any one market. Here we break down how India played out with making its market multipolar… Tariffs and trade with the US 2025 came with Trump’s push for tariffs on Indian goods and industrial products. Negotiating a trade deal, US demanded cutting off oil imports from Russia and access to India’s agriculture market, but faced firm stand Indian counterparts. India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in an interview with American media said, “We do not sign agreements on gunpoint.” Indian negotiators argued that sweeping tariff reductions would hurt millions of small farmers and producers who rely on existing protections. Also Read: India-US trade agreement possible by March Trade data of 2025 with the US showed why the issue had become politically charged in Washington. The US remained India’s largest trading partner, but the balance had tilted in India’s favour. A growing goods trade surplus for India increasingly drew criticism from US policymakers and became a sticking point in the talks. Rather than rushing into a wide-ranging deal, India chose a slower, more cautious approach. It offered tariff cuts in selected sectors while resisting demands for across-the-board concessions. The goal, officials said, was to narrow the tariff gap without dismantling safeguards at home. Negotiations continued through multiple rounds in 2025, but they stopped short of producing a comprehensive trade agreement. US sought greater access to India’s agricultural sector, but New Delhi declined the demand, according to reports. For India, the delay was strategic. It preserved leverage and bought time. Also Read: India, New Zealand finalise free trade deal after 10-year talks At the same time, New Delhi worked to ensure US tariff pressure did not squeeze its exporters. By expanding trade ties with alternative markets, India reduced its dependence on any single partner. That strategy shaped nearly every major trade decision the government made over the year. Trade deals signed in 2025 and deals under negotiations While talks with the US dragged on, India quietly signed some of its most ambitious trade deals in years. According to PIB’s report, New Delhi concluded major tariff agreements with the UK, Oman and New Zealand, and brought into force the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement with the EFTA bloc, which includes Switzerland and Norway. Also Read: India, Oman sign free trade agreement Beyond signed deals, negotiations continued with the European Union, Latin American blocs and even US, but on India’s terms. This shows a clear strategy to build a wide trade network so that pressure from one capital did not dictate national policy. Also Read: New Zealand’s foreign affairs minister slams India-NZ trade deal Trade with Russia One of India’s biggest economic cushions against global volatility in 2025 came from Russia. Since the Ukraine war, India has sharply increased imports of discounted Russian crude. In 2025, this strategy matured into a broader trade reset. Russia emerged as one of India’s top energy suppliers, helping New Delhi keep fuel prices stable even as Western sanctions reshaped global oil flows. Trade data shows Indian exports to Russia also climbed, led by pharmaceuticals, engineering goods and consumer products. Payments were increasingly routed through alternative settlement mechanisms, reducing exposure to dollar-based disruptions. This trade relationship did more than secure cheap oil. It insulated India from sudden supply shocks and freed up fiscal space, allowing New Delhi to absorb external tariff pressures without domestic inflation spikes. ——————————
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