NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday took a veiled jab at US President Donald Trump over the recent tariff hikes on Indian goods, accusing unnamed global powers of trying to derail India's economic momentum. Without naming Trump, Singh said, "Some 'boss' is jealous, unable to accept India's growth; trying to disrupt the country’s economy".
“There are some people who are not happy with the speed at which India is developing. They are not liking it. ‘Sabke boss toh hum hain’, how is India growing at such a fast pace?” Singh told a gathering.
The comments came after Washington imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods, along with an additional 25% penalty in response to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
The US President also threatened further tariff hikes, dismissed India’s economy as “dead,” and faced criticism from New Delhi after aides accused India of financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Singh alleged that some countries were trying to ensure “products made in India, by Indian hands, become more expensive than those made in other countries, so that when prices rise, the world will stop buying them.” But he insisted, “India is advancing so rapidly that I say with full confidence: no power in the world can now stop India from becoming a major global power.”
Pointing to defence exports as an example of resilience, Singh said, “We are exporting defence items worth more than Rs 24,000 crore. This is the strength of India, this is the new defence sector of the new India, and exports are continuously increasing.” He added that the sector had not been impacted by the tariff dispute.
“There are some people who are not happy with the speed at which India is developing. They are not liking it. ‘Sabke boss toh hum hain’, how is India growing at such a fast pace?” Singh told a gathering.
The comments came after Washington imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods, along with an additional 25% penalty in response to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
VIDEO | Madhya Pradesh: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) slams the US President over the tariff issue without naming him, saying, “Some ‘boss’ is jealous, unable to accept India’s growth; trying to disrupt the country’s economy."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 10, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos… pic.twitter.com/D3LLTywnXJ
The US President also threatened further tariff hikes, dismissed India’s economy as “dead,” and faced criticism from New Delhi after aides accused India of financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Singh alleged that some countries were trying to ensure “products made in India, by Indian hands, become more expensive than those made in other countries, so that when prices rise, the world will stop buying them.” But he insisted, “India is advancing so rapidly that I say with full confidence: no power in the world can now stop India from becoming a major global power.”
Pointing to defence exports as an example of resilience, Singh said, “We are exporting defence items worth more than Rs 24,000 crore. This is the strength of India, this is the new defence sector of the new India, and exports are continuously increasing.” He added that the sector had not been impacted by the tariff dispute.
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