Rohit Lamba

Assistant Professor

Rohit Lamba is a professor of economics at Cornell University and co-author of the book, “Breaking the Mold: India’s Untraveled Path to Prosperity.” He says Washington's tariffs are basically a sanction, stemming from New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil.

Lamba says:

“India faces a potentially stark miscalculation: industrial houses benefit from cheap Russian oil while small exporters bear the tariff pain. Could different diplomacy have avoided this? India's optimal response is pragmatic patience: negotiate exemptions, support affected firms domestically, diversify markets, and trade selective concessions for relief—avoiding reflexive retaliation. Meanwhile, Washington should consider whether alienating India serves long-term U.S. interests, risking decades of strategic realignment.

“Two-thirds of India's $86-90 billion U.S. exports now face this barrier, threatening export clusters while competitors like Vietnam and Bangladesh gain an advantage. For the U.S., this represents power play and coercive statecraft: trade pressure to force choices on energy and geopolitics rather than to fix market access. 

"I think a personality dimension compounds this: Most likely, President Trump remains offended that India didn't acknowledge a potential U.S. involvement in the May 10 India-Pakistan ceasefire. While generics, electronics, and refined petroleum are exempt (with metals under separate schedules), the tariffs could devastate labor-intensive sectors—textiles, jewelry, leather, seafood—where thin margins make the 50% rate lethal.”