On Monday, US President Donald Trump posted the cover of India Today magazine's 'Newsmakers of the Year 2025', featuring a captivating image with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his social media platform 'Truth Social'. The headline on the cover read 'The Mover & The Shaker'. Interestingly, Trump's post was devoid of any caption, leaving many to ponder over the intended message.
During the same period, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor posted that a phone conversation took place between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi. However, he did not divulge the details of the talks and simply advised followers to 'stay tuned' for more information. The curiosity surrounding this conversation heightened due to the absence of any formal statement from the White House and the US Embassy.
Source: aajtak
Later, putting speculations to rest, Donald Trump disclosed on Truth Social that a trade deal between the US and India had been agreed upon. According to Trump, under this agreement, the US will immediately reduce reciprocal tariffs on India from 25% to 18%. He further claimed that PM Modi has agreed to halt the purchase of Russian oil.
Source: aajtak
In an exclusive interview with Aaj Tak, Sergio Gor shared the intriguing tale behind Trump's posting of the India Today cover on 'Truth Social'. Gor remarked, 'I want to share something with Aaj Tak's audience, which might interest you, Raj (addressing Raj Chengappa, India Today's Group Editorial Director, Publishing). At a Republic Day reception hosted by President (Draupadi Murmu), I met Raj and mentioned that I attended a meeting where I saw a remarkable cover. I took a photo and sent it to President Trump without anticipating he would post it online. Had I known, I would have captured a better picture as it was slightly crumpled. I'm thrilled you recently sent pristine copies, which have now been mailed to the White House.'
Source: aajtak
Following America's tariff reduction announcement, PM Modi expressed his gratitude in a post on 'X', thanking President Trump. Modi wrote, 'It was a pleasure chatting with my dear friend President Trump today. Thrilled that tariffs on Made-in-India products have been slashed to 18%. On behalf of India's 1.4 billion people, a heartfelt thank you to President Trump for this significant announcement. When the world's largest democracies and economies collaborate, our people directly benefit, and immense possibilities for mutual cooperation arise. President Trump's leadership is crucial for global peace, stability, and prosperity. India fully supports his peace efforts and looks forward to closely collaborating to elevate India-US partnership to unprecedented heights.'
Yet, Trump's Truth Social post did not clarify whether the additional 25% tariff imposed by America on India's purchase of Russian oil had been removed. When Aaj Tak sought clarification from US Ambassador Sergio Gor, he reiterated, 'There is consensus to reduce the tariff from 50% to 18%. Whether it takes an hour or two days, some technical formalities and document signings are required, but the final figure will remain 18%.' No official statement from India regarding halting Russian oil purchases, as claimed by Trump in his Truth Social post, has been released. PM Modi also refrained from mentioning this in his 'X' post relating to tariffs.
