NEW DELHI: Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday hailed the India-US trade agreement as a “tremendous opportunity”for the country, calling it “the best deal” New Delhi has secured compared to its neighbours.Addressing a press conference a day after the agreement was announced, Goyal said, “This is the best deal India has received. It is a deal for all of us, bringing positive signals for the bright future of our citizens.”Goyal credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and his rapport with US President Donald Trump saying, “We all know that the Prime Minister, leveraging his friendly relationship and close ties with President Trump, has finalised a trade deal with the United States of America that is the best deal India has received compared to all our neighbors, all the surrounding countries, and all the countries that compete with us. This is a great deal for all of us.”“Friends, we all know, and the entire country knows, how the Prime Minister consistently cares for the welfare of our farmers, our brothers and sisters involved in animal husbandry, and the dairy sector. He protects their interests at every step,” he said.Describing the broader impact of the agreement, Goyal said the agreement unlocks unprecedented opportunities for farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers to Make in India for the world, Design in India for the world, and Innovate in India for the world,” he said, adding that it would also help India access advanced technology from the US.“It is not just a trade deal – it is a historic turning point that will reshape India–US relations and accelerate our journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047,” he added.The minister also took a swipe at the Congress, recalling India’s decision to stay out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). “We also remember the large-scale trade deal, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which Congress had pushed India into in 2011. Rahul Gandhi committed a grave mistake in negotiating an FTA with China, but Prime Minister Modi protected the country by refusing to join the RCEP. That decision brought relief across the nation,” he said.His remarks came after India and the United States reached an agreement that lowers tariffs on Indian exports to 18 per cent. Goyal said the government had intended to make a statement in Parliament on the deal but was unable to do so due to disruptions. “Normally, we would have wanted to speak about this in Parliament, but we all witnessed that disgraceful scene,” he said, strongly criticising the opposition’s conduct and adding that it forced the government to brief the media instead.Earlier, Goyal had said the deal “unlocks the power of two large democracies working together for the shared prosperity of their people” and would open unprecedented opportunities for farmers, MSMEs, entrepreneurs and skilled workers. In a post on X, he said the agreement would help India access advanced US technology and accelerate the country’s journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. “It is not just a trade deal – it is a historic turning point that will reshape India–US relations and accelerate our journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047,” he added.The India–US agreement comes a week after New Delhi signed a landmark trade pact with the European Union. PM Modi on Monday confirmed the breakthrough after speaking with Trump. “Wonderful to speak with my dear friend President Trump today. Delighted that Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%,”Modi said in a post on X, thanking Trump “on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India.”Trump, in a social media post, said India would “likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non-Tariff Barriers against the United States, to zero,” and claimed that PM Modi had agreed to significantly increase purchases of American goods, including energy, technology, agricultural products and coal.
