 "US President Donald Trump- File image Reuters")
Indian-origin venture capitalist Asha Jadeja Motwani has said that US President Donald Trump is “hurt, humiliated and shocked” after feeling ‘insulted’ by a close ally over what she described as the “ceasefire fiasco.”
In a series of posts on social media platform X, Motwani, who has publicly aligned herself with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, urged India to extend warmth towards Trump to help mend ties, saying this could pave the way for a reduction in US tariffs on Indian goods.
“Will Trump reduce the tariffs on India? Yes! But this is dependent on how fast we melt him,” she wrote, adding that India should project itself as a “peacebuilder” between Russia and Ukraine and engage in proactive public relations in the West. She also suggested that major Indian business houses could announce investment commitments in the US ahead of Trump’s expected visit for the Quad summit.
In another post, Motwani claimed to know what Trump “wants from India,” and listed five expectations:
A massive investment pledge from India’s top business houses, ranging from $100 billion to $500 billion, in the US economy.
Closure of deals for the purchase of Stryker and Javelin defence systems.
Increased energy imports from the US and reduced dependence on Russian crude.
Public thanks to Trump for his “behind-the-scenes work” on controlling Chinese military equipment and support in Pakistan.
More overt friendliness towards Trump, with Indians being “more expressive” to show their affection.
Motwani said these steps, along with “niceness and agility,” could help bring US tariffs on Indian goods down to “closer to 20%.” Ending her posts with “Jai Hind” and blessings for both nations, she stressed: “Be nice to Trump. He knows we love him, but we must show it more actively.”
In another post, Motwani listed what she claimed were Trump’s key expectations from India including a massive investment pledge from Indian conglomerates worth $100 billion to $500 billion in the US, closing deals on Stryker and Javelin defence systems, increasing US energy purchases, reducing reliance on Russian crude, and openly thanking Trump for behind-the-scenes support on China and Pakistan.
She emphasised that being “nice” to Trump and expressing affection more actively was essential. “American culture is different from India. Be more expressive,” she said, ending her posts with “Jai Hind” and blessings for both nations.
President Trump earlier this month slapped 25 per cent additional tariff on India over the purchase of Russian oil.
With this 25 per cent tariff, India will face at least 50 per cent tariffs among the highest in the world.
This 25 per cent tariff over the purchase of Russian oil is on top of the 25 per cent tariff that Trump had previously imposed on India on July 31 as part of the broader rollout of tariffs on more than 60 countries.