Shruti Srivastava

India sought to address concerns that its mandate to pre-install a cybersecurity app on mobile phones could invade privacy or enable surveillance, saying individuals can remove the software from devices.

Indian exporters urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a meeting on Monday to provide immediate relief from the fallout of the US decision to impose 50% tariffs on Indian goods, people familiar with the matter said, as labor-intensive industries reel from the move.

India is trying to find a way to maintain ties with both the US and Russia as it seeks to clinch a trade deal with President Donald Trump and bring down tariff rates of 50%.

India’s trade deficit widened to the highest in more than a year in September, potentially putting further pressure on the rupee, which has hovered near record lows in recent trading sessions.

India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit the US on Monday with the view of getting a “mutually beneficial” trade deal, in a sign of easing tensions over tariffs and New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.

A team of US officials will arrive in India on Monday night for trade deal discussions, signaling the two nations are moving closer to resolving differences.

India has lowered nationwide consumption tax as policymakers step up efforts to boost local demand in the economy buffeted by steep tariffs imposed by the US.

India on Tuesday challenged US tariffs on some copper products at the World Trade Organization, calling the high levies trade restrictions that impact the South Asian country’s exporters.

President Donald Trump said India offered to cut tariffs, while New Delhi signaled it’s continuing to negotiate a trade agreement with the US, indicating both sides are keeping the door open to resolving tensions.

India posted a smaller-than-expected trade deficit in June, as inbound shipments declined amid ongoing strain on global supply chains from Washington’s tariff policies.