In Trump tariff threat, wake-up call for India

New Delhi need not look outward for validation. It has the data, the scale, the engineering depth, and the hunger to lead from within. What it must do is eliminate the surplus red tape

- Vivek Wadhwa

India once had a love affair with Donald Trump.

Long before the rest of the world figured him out, Indians were cheering his every move. He was, at one point, more popular in India than in much of the US. His bluster, bravado, and disregard for political correctness struck a deep chord. In a country weighed down by colonial bureaucracy, obsolete laws, and a culture of red tape, Trump's instinct to bulldoze through institutions appeared not just refreshing but necessary.

He wasn't seen as just another politician — he was embraced as a wrecking ball aimed at a system that had long ceased to serve its purpose. India, hungry for its own disruptors, welcomed him as a kindred spirit. The stadium rallies, choreographed slogans, and orchestrated pageantry may have looked theatrical, but they reflected something real: A belief that boldness could substitute for reform, and disruption could shortcut progress.

Then came the backlash. Tariffs, visa caps, immigration crackdowns, and punitive trade threats landed one after another. India, which had positioned itself as a respectful partner playing by the rules, suddenly found itself on the receiving end. The betrayal was jarring, but in hindsight, it may have been the best thing that could have happened, because it forced a reexamination of assumptions that had gone unchallenged for too long.