India’s Dilemma: Bow to US Pressure or Forge an Independent Path?

With 50% US tariffs now fully in effect, India is facing a profound strategic dilemma: should it bow to American pressure and alter its trade policies, or should it forge a more independent path, even at great economic cost?
The pressure from Washington is immense. The tariffs target a huge volume of trade and are explicitly designed to force a change in India’s energy relationship with Russia. Complying could ease the economic pain but would come at the cost of strategic autonomy.
Forging an independent path would mean absorbing the economic hit while continuing to pursue a foreign policy based on India’s own national interests. This would assert its sovereignty but could lead to a further deterioration in its relationship with the United States.
The revelation that the US is pursuing its own deals with Russia complicates this dilemma. It provides India with a strong argument against the fairness of the US position, but it does not lessen the immediate economic damage. New Delhi’s decision will have far-reaching consequences for its economy and its place in the world.