"India needs new advisors", says Gaurav Gogoi after Trump’s 25 per cent tariff bombshell

In the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's imposition of a sweeping 25% tariff on Indian exports, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has called for a serious reassessment of India's foreign policy leadership. Gogoi lashed out at the Centre’s diplomatic strategy, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider replacing both External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

“The statements made by President Trump over the past two days are unacceptable,” said Gogoi. “India needs a new set of advisors. The Prime Minister should seriously consider replacing those currently guiding our foreign policy, particularly the External Affairs Minister and National Security Advisor.”

The fresh round of tariffs, announced by Trump citing “obnoxious” trade barriers and India’s deepening defence ties with Russia, is set to take effect from August 1. The 25% tariff will impact a wide range of Indian goods — including auto parts, electronics, gems, jewellery, textiles, and select processed food items. A secondary penalty, linked to India’s continuing strategic partnership with Moscow, may further aggravate the economic blow.

Experts warn that the new U.S. duties could shave off 0.2% to 0.5% of India’s GDP in the next fiscal if the measures remain in place. Labour-intensive industries such as textiles and gems are expected to take the hardest hit.

President Trump has revived his old rhetoric, branding India the “Tariff King” and accusing it of having “the highest tariffs in the world” and blocking U.S. products through “non-monetary barriers.” His remarks and actions have reignited trade tensions that had appeared to stabilise in recent months.

As of now, the Indian government has not issued an official response to either the tariff hike or Gogoi’s remarks.