India-US interim trade deal - the four unanswered questions

India and the United States have announced an interim trade agreement that includes the US reducing tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%, while India has committed to purchasing $500 billion worth of US products over five years and lowering its tariffs on American industrial and agricultural goods. The deal has sparked significant domestic controversy in India, with opposition parties and trade analysts criticizing it as asymmetric and heavily favoring the United States, since American tariff reductions only apply to approximately 55% of Indian exports. Farmer unions are particularly concerned that reduced tariffs on US agricultural imports will undercut domestic producers and harm their incomes, prompting threats of intensified protests.