ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash EP-382 | India vs Trump’s Tariffs, USA-Europe Trade War & China’s Leverage | Indrani Bagchi
Jan 20, 2026
Indrani Bagchi, a seasoned journalist and CEO of Ananta Centre, offers her insights on current global dynamics. She discusses how Trump's tariffs impact India, emphasizing their personal nature and possible responses. Indrani also highlights Europe's struggles under Trump's policies and stresses China's growing influence in Asia. She urges India to adopt a self-reliant approach and asserts its role in balancing regional power. Further, she explores the complexities of US-China relations and the need for strategic autonomy among smaller Asian states.
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Asia Isn't Monolithic
- Asia is heterogeneous; different regions respond differently to U.S.-China pressure.
- West Asia leans to the U.S. for security while China makes economic inroads without replacing U.S. security ties.
Transaction Replaced Expectation
- Donald Trump's presidency made traditional alliances transactional and explicit about cost.
- The MAGA worldview withdraws where interests don't directly align, changing global expectations of U.S. leadership.
Leverage Defines Autonomy
- Bargaining power comes from economic and geopolitical heft; only major powers can credibly claim strategic autonomy.
- Smaller Asian states hedge because they lack China's leverage or India's scale.