Congress MP and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor, speaking to reporters outside Parliament on July 31, 2025, criticized the Trump administration’s proposed 25% tariff plus penalties on Indian imports as “completely unreasonable.” He warned that the measures could damage India’s trade and cost up to 0.5% of GDP, with exports to the U.S. worth $87–90 billion at risk .

Tharoor noted that India's average tariff on U.S. goods is about 17%, and argued that American products may not be priced competitively enough to benefit from Indian import demand. “We have 700 million Indians dependent on agriculture,” he stressed, stating India would not jeopardize their livelihoods to appease Washington.

While acknowledging ongoing negotiations, Tharoor said India could show some flexibility—but only to a point. “If America remains unreasonable, our negotiators have every right to resist. We can’t afford to buckle under,” he added.