Mohan Kumar, a former Indian Ambassador to France, is currently Dean, Strategic and International Initiatives, and a professor of diplomatic practice at O.P. Jindal Global University. As India’s lead negotiator first at the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and then at the WTO in crucial areas such as intellectual property rights, services, dispute settlement, and the environment, he has enormous expertise in the area of international trade and multilateral negotiations. He has served on multiple GATT and WTO dispute settlement panels.

In this exclusive interview with senior journalist Nirupama Subramanian, conducted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, Mohan Kumar spoke about Indo-US relations, defence sales, and international trade and tariff concerns.