India's economic choices in Trump-defined world are sound: Panel

Global trade policies adopted by the Trump administration have made multilateral entities such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) less relevant, but India is sending the right messages to global powers by actively participating in bilateral talks with the U.S., said two veterans of trade and geopolitics at the Mint India Investment Summit 2025 in Mumbai.

- Manas Pimpalkhare

"I think the message from Delhi to Washington has gone very clearly," said Rajiv Bhatia, distinguished fellow at Gateway House. "We are ready for a mutually beneficial, mutually negotiated agreement (with the U.S.)."

Bhatia, former Indian ambassador to Myanmar and Mexico among other countries, said India had made a sound economic choice to negotiate with the U.S. for a bilateral agreement that could benefit both the world's largest economy and the fastest-growing one.