India won't be bullied, will wait out Trump term for trade deal: Doval told Rubio

While US President Donald Trump and his aides have been portraying the India-US trade deal as a major win for Americans, a media report has offered a contrasting account. Bloomberg reported that the Narendra Modi government conveyed a defiant stand to the Trump administration, refusing to budge under its tariff threat back in 2025.

Bloomberg reported on a meeting held in early September 2025 between Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which New Delhi conveyed its tough stance. The meeting took place amid repeated criticism of the Narendra Modi-led government by the Trump administration and the imposition of 50 per cent US tariffs on Indian exports, among the highest globally.

The report assumes added



significance after Trump moved quickly to announce the India-US trade deal, with his aides promoting it as a major victory for the United States, particularly its farm sector. Agriculture and dairy were sectors where India had drawn a clear red line.

It quoted Doval as telling Rubio that "India wouldn't be bullied by US President Donald Trump and his top aides, and would be willing to wait out his term, having faced other hostile US administrations in the past."

The report was based on inputs from officials in New Delhi familiar with the meeting, who sought anonymity because the "meeting was private". The report stated that both India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the US State Department declined to comment on the discussions.