August 29, 2025

In a masaledar twist to India-US trade drama, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stepped up with a big promise on Thursday! She met a bustling trade delegation and said the government will give full support to Indian exporters to keep their growth wheels spinning, even as a whopping extra 50% US tariff hit most Indian goods from Wednesday night. This tariff hike is no small tweak – it impacts about 55% of India’s exports to the US, a market that gobbles up one-fifth of India’s merchandise exports. But don’t panic yet! Sitharaman also stressed that protecting workers’ livelihoods is top priority. She called on industry bosses to give workers a big bear hug of job security despite the global economic storms. The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), which led the delegation with its president SC Ralhan and other top officials, including Pankaj Chadha from EEPC India, revealed the inside scoop. The Minister assured that the government was all ears and will explore every possible move to safeguard exporters’ interests. Ralhan was all praise, saying, "The finance minister’s commitment that the government will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with exporters demonstrates the priority being accorded to safeguarding India’s trade interests and employment.” Clearly, the battle is on to protect India's export dreams! In this hot trade saga, both India and the US are keeping communication doors wide open, trying to cool down the tariff fire and find a way forward. Meanwhile, FIEO is ready to crank up efforts to fight current challenges, shake hands with new markets, and push India’s global trade strength to new heights.

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Tags: Nirmala sitharaman, Exporters support, Us tariff, India exports, Fieo, Trade relations,