Inside Story

Why have relations between Trump and Modi nosedived so quickly?

The United States slaps 25 percent tariffs on a nation long viewed as an ally.

The United States has imposed a punitive 25 percent tariff on India.

US President Donald Trump warns that more could follow.

It’s a spectacular change from six months ago, when the leaders of the two nations declared their friendship at the White House.

So what went wrong – and what will happen next?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Brahma Chellaney – Professor of Strategic Studies at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi and a former adviser to India’s National Security Council

Elizabeth Threlkeld – Senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center

Sumantra Bose – Political scientist and professor of International and Comparative Politics at Krea University in India

Published On 4 Aug 20254 Aug 2025