The comments by top Trump administration officials came a day after Donald Trump announced the imposition of a 25 per cent tariff on all goods coming from India starting August 1, plus an unspecified penalty for buying Russian crude oil and military equipment.

With the US tariff deadline looming, an India-US trade deal appears unlikely, though a last-minute breakthrough remains possible. Trump has hinted at tariffs of 20-25% on Indian goods, while India anticipates these as a temporary measure during ongoing negotiations.

The United States has agreed to a trade deal with India that calls for a 25% tariff on goods imported from that country. In addition, India could face punitive tariffs for continuing to do business with Russia,