Modi, Trump spoke 8 times in 2025′: MEA on Howard Lutnick’s claim on India-US trade deal

January 9, 2026

New Delhi: While these comments from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) were not directly in response to US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s claims, they appear to be made in that context. On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump have held eight talks so far in 2025, while differences between New Delhi and Washington persist on issues related to the free trade agreement (FTA) and tariffs.

‘Claims not accurate’: MEA

Speaking to the media, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India and the US have been committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement since February 13, 2025. He stated that several rounds of talks have taken place between the two countries, with the aim of reaching a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement.

“We have noted these comments. India and the United States have been committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement since February 13, 2025. Since then, both sides have held several rounds of talks to reach a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement. On several occasions, we have come very close to reaching an agreement. However, the way these discussions have been presented is incorrect,” Jaiswal said.

Eight Modi-Trump Conversations in 2025

The MEA spokesperson also clarified that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump have had eight phone conversations so far this year, discussing various aspects of bilateral relations.

“We are interested in a mutually beneficial trade agreement between our two complementary economies and hope to conclude it soon. It is noteworthy that the Prime Minister and President Trump have had eight phone conversations so far in 2025, discussing various aspects of our comprehensive partnership,” Jaiswal said.

He also added that the two leaders have a friendly relationship and always communicate respectfully with each other, in accordance with diplomatic etiquette.

What was Howard Lutnick’s claim?

Previously, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed that the India-US trade deal failed because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not call President Trump. Speaking on entrepreneur and investor Chamath Palihapitiya’s “All In” podcast, Lutnick said that he had asked PM Modi to call Trump to finalize the deal.

“I said Modi would have to call the President… He was uncomfortable with it, so Modi didn’t call,” Lutnick said. He also added that he had hoped the agreement with India would be reached before other countries.

Agreements signed by the US with other countries

According to Lutnick, the US signed trade agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam during this period because they believed the agreement with India would be finalized first.

“We signed agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam and announced several deals… Because we had negotiated and assumed the deal with India would be finalized first, I negotiated them at a higher rate,” he said.

 ‘Ready for what now?’: Lutnick’s sarcasm

Lutnick also said that India later approached again, but circumstances had changed.

“The problem now is that the deals have been finalized at a higher rate. Then India calls and says, ‘We’re ready now.’ So I said, ‘Ready for what?’” he said.