Uzair talks to Pranay Kotasthane about the growing tensions in U.S.–India economic relations and the difficult road ahead for deeper trade integration. We discuss what went wrong in the bilateral relationship after the high-profile Trump Modi summit, the domestic political constraints that make agricultural and dairy sector reforms difficult in India, and why India’s reliance on fiscal incentives like PLI may not be the silver bullet for manufacturing growth. We also explore whether India’s decision to stay out of RCEP was a strategic misstep, and what it would take for the country to meaningfully integrate into global supply chains. Finally, we reflect on the broader trajectory of the U.S.–India partnership and what both sides need to do to steady the course.

Pranay Kotasthane is deputy director of the Takshashila Institution, where he chairs the High Tech Geopolitics Programme. He co writes Anticipating the Unintended, a newsletter on public policy, and co hosts Puliyabaazi, a popular Hindi Urdu podcast on politics, policy, and technology.

You can read Pranay’s newsletter here - https://publicpolicy.substack.com/p/315-beyond-the-hype

Reading Recommendations

1. Deborah A. Stone — Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making

2. Rutger Bregman — Humankind: A Hopeful

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:45 State of US-India relations

14:30 India’s Evolving foreign policy

24:10 Supporting Indian businesses

31:40 Agriculture reforms and protectionism

39:00 RCEP and its impact

48:40 Reading recommendations