ThePrint NationalInterestPod: Thank you Trump, again. India now has reason to shed fear of free trade and spur reform
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Jan 10, 2026 Explore how Trump's tariffs unexpectedly paved the way for significant economic reforms in India. Shekhar Gupta discusses the rollback of non-tariff protections and outlines India's new trade strategy with global partners. His insights reveal how Trump's blunt diplomacy disrupted India's cautious approach to free trade. The conversation includes the challenges of political risk and sectors facing job threats, as well as strategies for earning concessions from the U.S. while maintaining dignity. Gupta encourages India to embrace trade and reform with newfound confidence.
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Trump Triggered India's Reform Momentum
- Donald Trump's aggressive trade stance forced India to restart substantive economic reforms it had avoided since 1991.
- India's rollback of non-tariff barriers and renewed embrace of trade deals followed direct US pressure and blunt messaging.
Non-Tariff Walls Are Being Dismantled
- India built extensive non-tariff protections like QCOs that functioned as a huge barrier to trade.
- The current government is rapidly rolling these back under reform pressure and changing priorities.
India Reembraces Trade Deals
- India shifted from trade aversion to signing deals with UK, EFTA and moving toward the EU and RCEP members.
- This marks a broader policy reversal toward trade engagement after years of rejecting BITs and RCEP.