Modi, Trump, and Tariffs: How India Balances Symbolism With Strategy

Is Modi Sending Trump a Message?

It was an extraordinary moment in Tianjin. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared alongside China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, exchanging smiles and handshakes. The imagery, captured at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, carried undeniable symbolism. For Washington, it was a reminder that India, long seen as a cornerstone of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, retains its ability to engage with other great powers—even those challenging America’s dominance.

The timing was critical. Only weeks earlier, India had been hit with 50% U.S. tariffs, among the highest levied on any country. Reports of a tense Modi–Trump phone call added to the friction. Against that backdrop, Delhi’s optics in Tianjin looked like more than polite diplomacy; they resembled a calculated message.

India’s Three Strategic Choices

When President Donald Trump imposed tariffs and criticized India’s continued purchase of discounted Russian oil, Modi faced three broad options:

• Submit to U.S. pressure – India could have followed Japan and some European allies in placating Trump through concessions, such as scaling back Russian oil imports.
• Do nothing – Inaction would neither reverse U.S. tariffs nor enhance India’s global image as a rising power.
• Mix symbolism and substance – This option, chosen by Modi, combined public gestures of independence with restrained, pragmatic adjustments, while essentially playing the waiting game to see whether the trade spat would ease.

For a domestic audience, the third path demonstrated resilience. For an international one, it reaffirmed India’s long-standing tradition of resisting U.S. pressure while avoiding open confrontation.

Why the Tianjin Optics Mattered

The SCO, a China-centric forum, is not Delhi’s preferred platform for global strategy. India remains cautious of Chinese dominance within the organization, as well as its inclusion of Pakistan. Yet Modi’s presence alongside Xi and Putin projected an image of flexibility and autonomy.

It was a signal to Washington: India has options. While it remains committed to its partnership with the U.S. and the Quad alliance, it will not be strong-armed into policies that compromise its interests. Modi’s body language in Tianjin—cordial but not deferential—was part of this balancing act.

Why India Won’t Tilt Toward a China–Russia Bloc

Despite the optics, India has no intention of bandwagoning with Beijing or Moscow against the U.S.

• China remains India’s foremost strategic challenge. Border disputes, the 2020–2021 clashes in Ladakh, and growing Chinese influence in South Asia make full alignment unthinkable.
• Russia remains a critical but limited partner. While India has reduced its defense dependence on Moscow, it continues to import Russian arms and discounted oil. Maintaining ties with Russia is less about alignment and more about hedging against U.S. unpredictability.
• The SCO is a stage, not a strategy. India participates for influence and leverage but does not see it as central to its foreign policy.

Put simply, Tianjin was not the start of a new bloc but a tactical maneuver.

The Pitfalls of U.S. Pressure

Trump’s hardball approach risks alienating India at a critical time. Washington wants Delhi as a counterweight to Beijing in the Indo-Pacific, but punitive tariffs and transactional diplomacy undermine that goal.

India’s response—symbolic engagement with China and Russia—demonstrates its commitment to multialignment, not dependence. For the U.S., the message is clear: coercion will push India to showcase alternatives, even if it has no intention of fully embracing them.

According to Prof. Dr. Amarendra Bhushan Dhiraj, Executive Chair, CEO, and Editorial Director of CEOWORLD magazine, Prime Minister Modi’s appearance alongside Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the Tianjin summit should be read less as a pivot and more as a signal.

“India is not abandoning its Indo-Pacific commitments or its strategic partnership with the United States,” Prof. Dhiraj explains. “What Modi demonstrated is India’s resolve to exercise strategic autonomy. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Beijing and Moscow was a carefully crafted message to Washington: coercive tariffs and pressure politics will be met with resistance, not submission.”

He adds that India’s long-term orientation remains toward multialignment—maintaining flexibility to engage with all major powers while refusing to be cornered. “The U.S. risks miscalculating if it believes punitive tariffs will bend Delhi’s will. Instead, such moves only reinforce India’s instinct to showcase alternatives, even if symbolic.”

For CEOs and business leaders, Prof. Dhiraj stresses the larger lesson: “India’s foreign policy is pragmatic, optics matter, and the country will continue balancing East and West to maximize its leverage. Understanding this balancing act is critical for CEOs and investors positioning for growth in a multipolar world.”

Outlook: Multialignment Endures

India’s long-term trajectory remains clear. It seeks to:

• Strengthen Indo-Pacific engagement through the Quad, joint military drills, and economic initiatives.
• Expand ties with the West and Southeast Asia, particularly in trade and technology.
• Maintain symbolic participation in multipolar forums like the SCO to maximize leverage.

In other words, India will neither bandwagon with China nor capitulate to U.S. pressure. It will continue pursuing its multialignment strategy, which has only been reinforced by Trump’s tariffs.

Executive Takeaway

For CEOs, CFOs, and global investors, Modi’s actions highlight three lessons:

1. India is pragmatic. It will use forums like the SCO to signal independence but will not abandon its Indo-Pacific commitments.
2. Symbolism matters. Optics in diplomacy shape perceptions, both domestically and internationally.
3. U.S. hardball risks miscalculation. Coercion pushes India to hedge, even when its long-term orientation remains Westward.

So is Modi sending Trump a message? Absolutely. The Tianjin summit was less about realignment and more about signaling. India will not submit, it will not remain passive, and it will not abandon its strategy of multialignment.

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