India-US Trade Deal: Big news has come out regarding the much awaited trade deal between India and America. In fact, a huge deal worth about $50 thousand crore has been agreed upon between the two countries, but the Indian government has decided to stick to its terms. The biggest relief is that the heat of this mega deal will not reach Indian farms and barns. The government has made it clear that it will not compromise with the interests of its farmers and the dairy sector in the name of friendship with America.
A sigh of relief for farmers
The thing that was most focused on in this entire agreement was the agricultural sector. According to information received from government sources, India has completely kept grains like rice, wheat, soybean and maize out of this trade deal. Not only this, dairy products and sugar have also not been included in the list of this agreement.
This means that American subsidized cheap agricultural products and dairy items will not come to the Indian market. If this had happened, it would have become difficult for our small farmers and milk sellers to compete. The government considers it as ‘red-line’ i.e. it is the limit which cannot be crossed. This is the reason why when talks were held with the European Union and Britain, the issue was stuck on these issues. But India has got its point fulfilled in this deal with America, which is like a protective shield for the domestic economy.
How much truth is there in Trump’s claim?
In politics there is often a difference between statements and reality and something similar was seen in this deal too. US President Donald Trump and many officials of his administration had claimed that India has agreed to open its agricultural market to America. These claims had created a situation of doubt among Indian farmers.
However, now the picture has become clear. The Government of India has made it clear that it is committed to protecting the interests of farmers. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has made it clear that the purpose of this deal is to accelerate import-export, and not to harm the domestic market. Trump has announced that India will buy goods worth $50 thousand crore from America but this does not include those goods which will cause harm to Indian agriculture.
This is the complete account of $50 thousand crores
According to the breakup of this deal, India will purchase things related to technology and infrastructure. The largest share in this is of aircraft and their related spare parts, whose value will be more than $10 thousand crore. Apart from this, about $10 to $15 thousand crore is estimated to be spent on data center equipment and IT hardware. At the same time, the share of inputs related to energy imports (oil-gas), steel and infrastructure is the largest, which will be between $25 to $30 thousand crore.
According to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Boeing Company already has big orders for airplanes pending. Commerce Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal also says that as India’s economy is growing bigger, it is natural for the demand for these high-tech and energy products to increase. That means we are buying those things which we need for our progress, and not those things which will take away the livelihood of our farmers.