Trump’s Impact on India: H-1B Visas, Trade Wars & Pakistan Strategy

Ambassador Rakesh Sood began by noting that India’s early optimism about Trump’s second term faded as the US imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods and tightened H-1B visa rules, directly affecting Indian professionals. Trump’s approach, he said, ignored long-term strategic interests in favor of short-term trade gains.

Ambassador Arun Singh explained that Washington’s renewed warmth toward Pakistan was driven less by strategy and more by self-interest—linkages to Trump’s business network, Pakistan’s nuclear capability, and its geographic leverage over Afghanistan. Singh emphasized that India–US ties remain important, but must be guided by clear-eyed realism rather than misplaced sentiment.

Ambassador Jawed Ashraf added that India must avoid overdependence on any one global partner, cautioning that “India’s vulnerability to China should not turn into vulnerability to the United States.” The diplomats agreed that India’s strength lies in maintaining strategic autonomy and managing its own neighborhood effectively.

Barkha Dutt summed up that India’s foreign policy must balance engagement with assertion—pursuing partnerships without compromising sovereignty, especially as global power equations shift unpredictably under leaders like Trump.