Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday strongly defended the Indo-US trade deal, rejecting Opposition claims that India had conceded ground under pressure and asserting that the agreement protects farmers, sensitive sectors and national interests.
Speaking exclusively to Times Now, Goyal said the joint press release was issued early morning because negotiations concluded late after discussions following the prime minister’s call with the US president. “It was in the best interest of India, given that it is such a wonderful deal for India, that we announced it jointly,” he said.
Responding to criticism that India had “capitulated”, Goyal dismissed the Opposition’s reaction. “There is not a single thing in this agreement that they can criticise. One hundred percent of India’s sensitive items have been kept out. No concessions have been given on them,” he said.
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He stressed that key agricultural and food sectors remain protected. “Farm products — the way India has become self-reliant in meat, poultry, dairy — not even a little bit has been opened,” Goyal said, adding that GM food products, cereals, fruits, ethanol and pulses produced by Indian farmers had received no concessions. “They are totally protected and insulated,” he said.
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Addressing Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s claim that genetically modified products would enter India through the deal, Goyal said, “DDGS can come into India only after environmental clearance… after processing, there is no GM left in the by-product.” He accused the Congress of spreading “baseless lies and deception.”
On the projected expansion of bilateral trade to $500 billion, Goyal said the figure reflected India’s growing needs. “If we get better prices and good deals, why should we not take them from America?” he said, citing imports of energy, aircraft, steel inputs and advanced technology such as AI, data centres and quantum computing equipment.
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Goyal denied claims that India was being forced to end Russian oil imports. “This is false propaganda that the Congress is trying to spread,” he said, noting that oil issues fall under the foreign ministry.
On safeguards, he said, “Between friends, there are no conditionalities…structured in a fair, equitable and win-win manner for both economies.”
Assuring farmers, Goyal said, “I can say with full conviction that this trade deal protects the interests of all our farmers.”
Calling the agreement final, he added, “What we have got is a robust, powerful instrument that will take India on a fast track towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.”
