India-US relations: News and Discussions IV

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 27 Jan 2026 04:23

FWIW: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-tr ... =129533311

...Does the president regret what he said about our NATO allies and their service in Afghanistan?

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent:

Again, I think President Trump is laser-focused on the strongest NATO possible, that he has worked to negotiate a settlement on Russia-Ukraine. The U.S. has made much bigger sacrifices than the Europeans have. We have put 25 percent tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Guess what happened last week? The Europeans signed a trade deal with India.

They — and just to be clear again, the Russian oil goes into India, the refined products come out, and the Europeans buy the refined products. They are financing the war against themselves. So, President Trump’s leadership, we will eventually end this Ukraine-Russia war.

KL Dubey · Post by **KL Dubey** » 27 Jan 2026 08:12

Neither Basant nor Lattu has much knowledge or understanding of these issues. They just make pro forma comments to make it look like there is serious policy at work.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 27 Jan 2026 14:53

Any deal with the US is not worth the paper it's printed on as the south Koreans have discovered. Bharat is diversifying it's markets at a hectic pace. Good stuff!

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 28 Jan 2026 00:54

Washington State Senate convened a special session and adopted Resolution Number 8674 celebrating the 77th Republic Day of India

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 28 Jan 2026 14:31

At some point in the not so distant future, India should consider putting an export tax on items exported to the US.
Why export our goods to a country that funds Pak military junta, creates unrest inimical to India in our neighbourhood or should we say "Indian hemisphere" and then have to deal with the consequences of their actions at the cost of lives and resources, for which that country pays in wampum money ?

drnayar · Post by **drnayar** » 28 Jan 2026 16:41

Cyrano wrote: ↑27 Jan 2026 14:53 Any deal with the US is not worth the paper it's printed on as the south Koreans have discovered. Bharat is diversifying it's markets at a hectic pace. Good stuff!

It's interesting to see the world is surviving and even thriving despite American sanctions and threats.. American economy is not "as big" or influential as made out to be.

This also means America will increasingly continue to use hard military force to influence countries

gakakkad · Post by **gakakkad** » 28 Jan 2026 17:13

Basanti was one of the worst performing hedge fund managers in Wall Street. He lost a billion dollars between 2013-2017 when even idiots like ackman were making huge money .

krithivas · Post by **krithivas** » 28 Jan 2026 20:36

The Baramati crash attempt to derail Parliament approval of India-EU trade deal? // Trigger more internal chaos in MH governance by the Buffoon Gandhi.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 28 Jan 2026 22:20

LMAOOO- This is so dark/disgusting that all I can do is laugh in disbelief.

(

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 28 Jan 2026 22:21

A man is known by the friends he keeps

RCase · Post by **RCase** » 28 Jan 2026 22:30

It is but obvious that the defenders of the ideological frontiers of the Religion of Peace should be the founding member of the Board of Peace.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 28 Jan 2026 23:30

US statement on Bipartisan U.S. Congressional Delegation's Visit to India Advances Defense Cooperation

January 28, 2026

A bipartisan Congressional Delegation led by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Michael Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith visited New Delhi January 24–28, 2026, underscoring sustained U.S. engagement to advance defense cooperation and deepen strategic coordination with India. The delegation also included Representative Jimmy Patronis and senior committee staff.

During the visit, the delegation met with senior Indian officials, including Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar and Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. The delegation also held discussions with Indian and American defense industry leaders.

Chairman Rogers said, “The United States values India as a Major Defense Partner. Our discussions in New Delhi focused on strengthening defense cooperation and advancing defense technology collaboration that supports India’s defense modernization and enhances regional stability.”

“The relationship between the United States and India is extremely important for both of our countries and the world. Our ability to conduct the kind of candid dialogue we have carried out on this delegation is crucial to strengthening our defense cooperation and regional stability, providing both economic and national security benefits for all involved,” Ranking Member Smith said.

U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor stated, “Chairman Rogers’ visit and meetings with Indian leaders and defense experts advanced practical cooperation on protecting Americans and Indians as well as people throughout the region. These discussions strengthened ongoing defense collaboration, supported India’s defense modernization goals, and reinforced our shared commitment to stability in the Indo-Pacific.”

The delegation’s meetings focused on expanding defense cooperation, accelerating defense technology collaboration, and identifying opportunities to enhance co-development and co-production between the United States and India in support of shared security objectives.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 28 Jan 2026 23:42

Yeah yeah , give them some chai biskoot and send them on their way with a "Hey no hard feelings"

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 28 Jan 2026 23:54

لاحول ولاقوة إلا بالله (Lahol-wilaQuwwata / good grief)

India and the United States have made "very significant progress" on their ongoing trade deal talks and are "very close" to a positive outcome.

US Trade Pact Nearing Closure

Very Significant Progress

At the same time, the government signalled it is keeping "eyes on the ball" with the US, describing the American market as "as important, if not more important," and indicating that the two negotiating teams remained in touch throughout the EU endgame.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 29 Jan 2026 00:18

Why is there a sardar ji in the above cartoon? Very intriguing that even journalist Canadians think that all Indians are sadrajis only.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 29 Jan 2026 00:20

https://www.rediff.com/news/report/texa ... 260128.htm
Texas governor orders freeze on new H-1B visas; Indians likely to be hit
Seema Hakhu Kachru, January 28, 2026
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies and public universities to immediately halt new H-1B visa petitions, tightening hiring rules at taxpayer-funded institutions, a step likely to impact Indian professionals.
The directive issued on Tuesday said that the state agencies and public universities must stop filing new petitions unless they receive written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The governor's order, in a red state that is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes as the Trump administration has initiated steps to reshape the visa programme.
"In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa programme, and amid the federal government's ongoing review of that programme to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter," Abbot said.
Institutions must also report on H-1B usage, including numbers, job roles, countries of origin, and visa expiry dates, the letter said.
US President Donald Trump on September 19 last year signed a proclamation 'Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers' that restricted the entry into the US of those workers whose H-1B petitions are not accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $1,00,000.
The H1-B visa fee of $1,00,000 would be applicable only to new applicants, i.e. all new H-1B visa petitions submitted after September 21, including those for the FY2026 lottery.
Indians make up an estimated 71 percent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with China in the second spot. The major fields include technology, engineering, medicine, and research.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the USCIS. Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
Texas public universities employ hundreds of foreign faculty and researchers, many from India, across engineering, healthcare, and technology fields.
Date from Open Doors -- a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the US -- for 2022-2023 showed 2,70,000 students from India embarked on graduate and undergraduate degrees in US universities, accounting for 25 per cent of the international student population in the US and 1.5 percent of the total student population.
Indian students infuse roughly $10 billion annually into universities and related businesses across the country through tuition and other expenses while also creating around 93,000 jobs, according to the Open Doors data.
......
Gautam

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 29 Jan 2026 00:27

They want Indian students but don't want them to continue staying on H1Bs. This is not going to work out for the universities as Indian student income dries up. Just recently Brandies University President said that 25% of the US universities will be closing in a few years. There are roughly 6000 universities in the US.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 29 Jan 2026 00:28

I will post links in the Understanding the USD thread.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 29 Jan 2026 00:49

Vayutuvan wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 00:27 They want Indian students but don't want them to continue staying on H1Bs. This is not going to work out for the universities as Indian student income dries up. Just recently Brandies University President said that 25% of the US universities will be closing in a few years. There are roughly 6000 universities in the US.

Sirji,
Indian parents sell their property and go into debt to send their children to the US. The only way the debt gets paid is when that child is able to work. If it is impossible to work, then no one comes to study here. As it is, the non-resident tuition is too high, cost of living has increased tremendously due to inflation, tariffs, ICE actions. Personally, I have stopped grocery shopping, or eating out as I get a heart attack when I see the prices. Indian students will now have go to other countries to study.
Gautam

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 29 Jan 2026 01:36

US Treasury Secretary slams Europe for trade deal with India

Europe is putting trade over the interests of the Ukrainian people. America put 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Europe did not because they wanted this deal with India”

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 29 Jan 2026 02:15

g.sarkar wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 00:49 As it is, the non-resident tuition is too high, cost of living has increased tremendously due to inflation, tariffs, ICE actions. Personally, I have stopped grocery shopping, or eating out as I get a heart attack when I see the prices. Indian students will now have go to other countries to study.
Gautam

My prediction is that a lot more than 25% who would be closing doors. Those who don't completely close would shut down a lot of bhoosa programs - Gender Studies, Interpretive Dance, Art History, English (though some who play their cards right can get into the Legal profession). Some humanities programs are essential, though like history, political science, criminology, economics (possibly), and ethics. But Indian students should not study these in the US as they would not get jobs in the US and they are useless if they go back to India or any other country.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 29 Jan 2026 02:28

A good barometer would be indian matrimony sites and newspaper matrimony pages

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 29 Jan 2026 03:04

More: Trump team is basically telling India: "If you want those 50% tariffs gone, you’ve got to quit the Russian oil habit." USTR Jamieson Greer admitted India loves the Russian discount, but that 25% "oil surcharge" stays until they pivot more toward the Middle East. There’s a bit of "good cop, bad cop" happening, though—Treasury Sec Scott Bessent hinted at a rollback since Indian imports of Russian crude just hit a low of 1.1 million bpd. Meanwhile, India just inked a massive "mother of all deals" FTA with the EU to hedge their bets against Trump’s protectionism.

Trump aide says India has to do more on Russian oil to get tariff relief

drnayar · Post by **drnayar** » 29 Jan 2026 03:34

A detailed Economic Times analysis argues that U.S.-India trade negotiations, aimed at doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, broke down not just over a supposed lack of direct talks but due to India's 'petro-rupee' strategy. This involves settling discounted Russian oil imports—reaching 7.7 million tonnes in November 2025—in rupees through Special Rupee Vostro Accounts, with the RBI enabling banks to invest surplus rupees in Indian securities. While U.S. officials like Howard Lutnick pointed to communication gaps, skeptics on X question the theory's timing amid pre-existing tariffs and leaked U.S. internal disputes, as India balances BRICS initiatives with American ties.

very significant if true.
For months, Moscow had been accumulating billions in Indian Rupees from oil sales that it couldn't spend.

Then, on August 12, 2025, the RBI issued a quiet but revolutionary circular. It authorized foreign holders of "Special Rupee Vostro Accounts" (SRVAs) to invest their surplus balances into Indian Government Securities and Treasury Bills.

In a move that alarmed U.S. strategists even more, India and the UAE two key American partners began operationalizing a Local Currency Settlement system. The Indian Oil Corporation paid for a million barrels of Abu Dhabi crude in rupees, proving the concept worked.

Russia to recycle its oil revenue directly into Indian sovereign debt, New Delhi created a closed-loop financial system. Russian oil profits were no longer chasing U.S. Treasuries; they were funding Indian infrastructure.

The reaction from Washington was swift. Within weeks, the U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on select Indian goods a punitive strike that signaled the partnership was in jeopardy.

RBI had permitted 123 correspondent banks from 30 countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, and Singapore to open 156 Special Rupee accounts.

Data from November 2025 showed India importing 7.7 million tonnes of Russian oil in a single month, accounting for 35 percent of its total intake, largely settled outside the dollar system.

The host of the 2026 BRICS Summit, New Delhi has moved beyond passive participation to active architecture. The Reserve Bank of India has formally proposed linking the Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) of member nations a project dubbed the "BRICS Bridge."

Building on the 2025 Rio de Janeiro declaration, India is pushing for a proprietary, interoperable payment rail that would allow Russia, China, India, and new members like the UAE to settle trade instantly in digital local currencies, completely bypassing the U.S. banking system.

RBI actively pilot-testing the e-Rupee’s cross-border capabilities, India is effectively building a "digital SWIFT" immune to Western sanctions. For the Trump administration, this was the final provocation. It wasn't just evasion; it was replacement.

Washington views India’s 2026 agenda not as economic modernization, but as a "monetary mutiny."

V_Raman · Post by **V_Raman** » 29 Jan 2026 04:28

If India rolls this out sucessfully - that would be henceworth be called the "Dollar Wars I" with India winning it - USA would have an axe to grind against India and everyone except USA will be ok with it - including EU - India is being egged on by RoW to head the Dollar Wars and we need to be careful !!

No wonder EU is signing the trade deal and Xi is being conciliatory towards India !!

S_Madhukar · Post by **S_Madhukar** » 29 Jan 2026 05:41

krithivas wrote: ↑28 Jan 2026 20:36 The Baramati crash attempt to derail Parliament approval of India-EU trade deal? // Trigger more internal chaos in MH governance by the Buffoon Gandhi.

I was worried too but then Eyetalian Pappu was already shown around BMW offices recently so it must be bipartisan . Yes there will be hurdle thrown by Unkil specially when it comes to ratification in EU parliament.. won’t be surprised if some Eastern European country tries to veto..

Cain Marko · Post by **Cain Marko** » 29 Jan 2026 05:43

drnayar wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 03:34 A detailed Economic Times analysis argues that U.S.-India trade negotiations, aimed at doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, broke down not just over a supposed lack of direct talks but due to India's 'petro-rupee' strategy. This involves settling discounted Russian oil imports—reaching 7.7 million tonnes in November 2025—in rupees through Special Rupee Vostro Accounts, with the RBI enabling banks to invest surplus rupees in Indian securities. While U.S. officials like Howard Lutnick pointed to communication gaps, skeptics on X question the theory's timing amid pre-existing tariffs and leaked U.S. internal disputes, as India balances BRICS initiatives with American ties.

Link?

drnayar · Post by **drnayar** » 29 Jan 2026 06:12

Cain Marko wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 05:43
drnayar wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 03:34 A detailed Economic Times analysis argues that U.S.-India trade negotiations, aimed at doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, broke down not just over a supposed lack of direct talks but due to India's 'petro-rupee' strategy. This involves settling discounted Russian oil imports—reaching 7.7 million tonnes in November 2025—in rupees through Special Rupee Vostro Accounts, with the RBI enabling banks to invest surplus rupees in Indian securities. While U.S. officials like Howard Lutnick pointed to communication gaps, skeptics on X question the theory's timing amid pre-existing tariffs and leaked U.S. internal disputes, as India balances BRICS initiatives with American ties.
Link?

https://m.economictimes.com/markets/us- ... 528481.cms

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 29 Jan 2026 20:04

Seventy-nine years after Independence, the saddest colonial relic still standing is the Gunga Din mindset: “At your service, Saar.”

India Bureau Chief's Plea: Pranshu Verma, the New Delhi Bureau Chief for The Washington Post, publicly appealed to owner Jeff Bezos on social media amid these reports, emphasizing the importance of the Post's "accountability reporting" in India and advocating against shrinking the team.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 29 Jan 2026 21:58

Vayutuvan wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 00:18 Why is there a sardar ji in the above cartoon? Very intriguing that even journalist Canadians think that all Indians are sadrajis only.

It's just AI generated slop sludge saar, that's what journalism is these days.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 29 Jan 2026 22:38

AI got trained with Canadian noospapers.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 30 Jan 2026 00:38

AI generated News Reports about AI

Trump's Indian-Origin Cyber Chief Uploaded Critical Files On ChatGPT: Report

Trump's Indian-Origin Cyber Chief Uploaded Critical Files On ChatGPT: ReportThe use of ChatGPT was blocked for other employees of the Department of Homeland Security at the time. Gottumukkala "forced CISA's hand into making them give him ChatGPT, and then he abused it," the report said.

Trump's Indian-Origin Cyber Chief Uploaded Critical Files On ChatGPT: Report
The use of ChatGPT was blocked for other DHS employees

The interim head of America's cyber defence agency, the very agency tasked with protecting the government's secrets, uploaded sensitive contracting documents into a public version of ChatGPT after taking charge of the agency last summer. Actions of Madhu Gottumukkala, the acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), triggered multiple automated security warnings that are meant to stop the theft or unintentional disclosure of government material from federal networks, according to a report by Politico.

The ironic misstep from Gottumukkala, Donald Trump's Indian-origin aide, was especially noteworthy because he reportedly took special permission from CISA's Office of the Chief Information Officer to use the popular AI tool after arriving at the agency this May.

(Interestingly - All the information uploaded by Gottumukkala into the public version of ChatGPT is shared with AI tool owner OpenAI, meaning it can be used to help answer prompts from other users of the app. OpenAI's app has more than 700 million total active users.)

(Interestingly the story published above, has this in their small print:

"Quick ReadSummary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed
Did our AI summary help?

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 30 Jan 2026 02:39

Why is NDTV highlighting the fact that "Indian-Origin"? They could have just said "Cyber Chief," but naah, they want to take a swipe at any PIO working in this admin.

How is it any worse than what HiC did with her private servers back in the day?

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 30 Jan 2026 05:34

drnayar wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 03:34 ...
This involves settling discounted Russian oil imports—reaching 7.7 million tonnes in November 2025—in rupees through Special Rupee Vostro Accounts, with the RBI enabling banks to invest surplus rupees in Indian securities.
...

Someone asked me a question in this regard which I was not able to answer. If Russia is accumulating surplus rupees from oil exports to India that it could not spend except now on Indian securities after Vostro Accounts were introduced, how were the oil exports helping finance its war against Ukraine?

I had read elsewhere that the oil trade is settled in UAE dirhams, not in rupees; but then where did this pile of Russian-owned rupees come from?

Thanks in advance!

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 30 Jan 2026 06:30

Meanwhile: Is the United States backing Radical Jamaat in Bangladesh?

“In our meeting today, I heard Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s perspectives on the upcoming elections. The United States looks forward to working with all Bangladeshi political parties to advance shared peace and prosperity”, writes US Ambassador to Bangladesh.

Yunus + Jamaat seem to be American favorites against BNP and Awami League. Awami League anyways has been banned.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 30 Jan 2026 06:44

"Our conversation covered the many dimensions of our partnership."

"Welcomed him and expressed confidence that he would contribute to the strengthening of India - US relations”

, says Dr. Jaishankar.

nandakumar · Post by **nandakumar** » 31 Jan 2026 10:31

A_Gupta wrote: ↑30 Jan 2026 05:34
drnayar wrote: ↑29 Jan 2026 03:34 ...
This involves settling discounted Russian oil imports—reaching 7.7 million tonnes in November 2025—in rupees through Special Rupee Vostro Accounts, with the RBI enabling banks to invest surplus rupees in Indian securities.
...
Someone asked me a question in this regard which I was not able to answer. If Russia is accumulating surplus rupees from oil exports to India that it could not spend except now on Indian securities after Vostro Accounts were introduced, how were the oil exports helping finance its war against Ukraine?

I had read elsewhere that the oil trade is settled in UAE dirhams, not in rupees; but then where did this pile of Russian-owned rupees come from?

Thanks in advance!

My two cents worth: Granted that rupee balances doesn't translate into ammunition or armaments which is what Russia needs more than anything else. That said the 'Vostro' Account helps in two ways. One, it can be seen as a temporary store of value before a use can be found to pay for what Russia needs from sources elsewhere. Two, there are only two ways a surplus in bilateral trade in goods and services can be liquidated. Either the country can run up surpluses in the currency of deficit country because it has global acceptance and keep it for near term use or invest in financialassets. For Russia, dollar isn't that currency at the moment. That leaves only the alternative of investing in financial assets of the other country. India has opened that avenue to Russia, now. To come back to the main question of yours, how does India Vostro Account mechanism help Russia purchase armaments which it needs now? India has opened a similar arrangement with UAE. While India has deficit on trade with Goods and Services with Russia, it runs a surplus on the same with its transactions with UAE, thanks to NRI remittances from UAE. Coincidentally, Russia runs a deficit with UAE in its sum total of investment and trade (goods and services) transactions. So, a trilateral arrangement works nicely where Russia can pay UAE for what it owes to that country with surpluses lying with India. India too, can make a book adjustment for surplus due from UAE. I don't have the data at hand now. I did the calculations a year ago.

ShauryaT · Post by **ShauryaT** » 02 Feb 2026 22:34

it was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO. The Prime Minister also committed to “BUY AMERICAN,” at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 02 Feb 2026 22:49

Breaking :

But Also:
ndia’s beautiful Triumphal Arch. Ours will be the greatest of them all!

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 02 Feb 2026 22:55

Un f believeable! There is no way NaMo agreed to everything Agent Orange is claiming. Waiting for MEA spokesperson to set the record straight.