01-08-2025
Investor On Why Trump's 25% Tariff Cannot Be Underrated: ‘...Waiting For Harry Potter 10 Release?'
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US President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff and an 'unspecified' penalty on Indian goods.
Investor Akshat Shrivastava has sparked a conversation over the growing trade friction between India and the US. In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), he explained how such policies could severely hit India's future to move from a low-income to a middle-income country.
'People don't understand the gravity of the US's high tariffs on India," Shrivastava wrote. He argued that India's 'per capita GDP is ranked 120+, we are a poor nation. And, they are trying to move to a middle-income country."
He also added that the country is at a crucial stage where global partnerships are key to growth. 'We require as many partnerships as possible. Especially, with major trading blocks of the world. Alienating big economies is the fastest way to kill our growth prospects," he said and stressed that India is not aligned with China and that the US 'doesn't want us."
'Russia is a closed economy (even if they want us, it doesn't matter much)," he added.
'What Have We Been Waiting for? Harry Potter 10?'
Shrivastava also pushed back at those calling for more self-reliance. 'It is easy to say: 'We should build our own capacity.' What have we been waiting for decades, then? Harry Potter 10 release?" he wrote.
He mentioned that if building capacity were that easy, it would have already happened. He said India continues to struggle with manufacturing growth, and even the IT sector is 'facing headwinds & job losses."
'Schemes like Make in India have failed spectacularly to the point where we have sitting CMs inaugurating Tesla showrooms," the investor said.
He also warned that 'AI is going to cut labour costs massively."
'Nations like the US are now industrialising by building giga-factories. 'Cheap labour" is not an advantage anymore," he continued.
According to Shrivastava, 'We need the US's tech stack to build our next tech revolution (post IT), more than they need India's cheap labour."
Mixed Reactions To Akshat Shrivastava's Perspective
The post sparked a wide range of reactions online. Some users disagreed strongly, calling for a more self-respecting and independent stance.
A user commented, 'Self-respect is a thing. Don't know about you, but I would prefer to starve to death rather than bend over to someone. But that's again my thing."
Another said, 'We as a nation have overcome so many adversities, threats, sanctions etc. E.g.: Sanctions from the West after the Pokhran nuclear test. We are better off now. Tough times create strong opportunities. If China can do it, so can we."
'See, I agree that India does need global support to grow faster. But let's not ignore the shift: global giants are already moving supply chains to India. The world needs India too: cheap labour, large market, stable democracy. It's interdependence, not one-way need," someone noted.
A person pointed out, 'U.S. tariffs hurt India's growth as a low-income nation aiming for middle-income status. They limit market access, strain partnerships, and risk isolation."
Trump's Tariff Announcement And India's Response
On July 30, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on imports from India, along with an 'unspecified" penalty on goods, even as trade negotiations between Washington and New Delhi continue. He initially pointed to India's ongoing purchase of Russian oil and its role in BRICS, a group the US increasingly sees as adversarial. But in a quick turnaround, he later said he didn't care what India did with Russia and hinted that a trade deal could still happen by the end of the week.
While reiterating his friendship with India, Trump sharply criticised India's tariff policies, stating, 'They have one of the highest tariffs in the world. Now, they are willing to cut it very substantially. But we'll see what happens. It doesn't matter too much whether we have a deal or we charge them a certain tariff. But you'll know by the end of this week."
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He also made a controversial remark about India's economy, referring to it as 'dead" and saying that New Delhi and Moscow could 'take their dead economies down together."
Meanwhile, India said discussions with the US are still ongoing and stressed that it would take all necessary steps to safeguard national interests, particularly those of farmers, MSMEs and small entrepreneurs.
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Delhi, India, India
First Published:
August 01, 2025, 08:56 IST
News viral Investor On Why Trump's 25% Tariff Cannot Be Underrated: '...Waiting For Harry Potter 10 Release?'
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