"Trump Has Provided Us A Once In A Generation Opportunity," Says Amitabh Kant After US Hikes Tariff On India

After the US President Donald Trump hiked tariff on Indian imports to 50 per cent, Ex-NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant voiced out how the present trade tensions between two major economies presented the south Asian nation once in a lifetime opportunity.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Kant penned, "Trump has provided us a once in a generation opportunity to take the next big leap on reforms. Crisis must be fully utilised."

Trump’s decision is seen as a direct response to India’s continued strategic and commercial engagement with Russia, particularly in the areas of energy and defence.

The US President has been vocal about New Delhi’s purchase of discounted Russian crude oil and long-standing military cooperation with Moscow—both viewed as undermining Western sanctions against Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

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However, if India halts its oil dealings with Kremlin it is expected to create a spike in global crude oil prices.

India was once encouraged to buy Russian crude by the United States, and, unlike LNG, Russian crude isn’t sanctioned, but traded under a price cap to limit Moscow’s ability to profit from its sale.

Coming to the imposition of the latest 25 per cent tariff hike imposed by Trump, the levy was issued through an executive order invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and is set to take effect 21 days from its issuance.