Trumps tariffs 'wake-up call': Amitabh Kant sees US duties as opportunity; urges bold reforms & efficiency

Former Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said India should view the US tariff hike as a wake-up call to implement bold and once-in-a-generation reforms while diversifying its export markets for long-term growth.

Addressing the BN Memorial Lecture organised by IRS (C&IT) Association, Kant said, “This is India’s century, irrespective of Trump’s tariff, I strongly believe that Trump has given us a huge opportunity for reforms.”

He rejected the US claim that the move was linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, PTI reported. “It’s not about Russian oil. If it were the issue, then China buys much more Russian oil and Turkey buys as much Russian oil,” he said.


The former G-20 Sherpa also underlined the need to improve administrative efficiency for rapid expansion of India’s production infrastructure. In a post on X, he added, “Trump’s tariffs must be a wake-up call for India. The irony is striking: the US is actively negotiating with Russia and China, the latter being the largest buyer of Russian oil, yet chooses to target India with tariffs instead. Rather than intimidate us, these global headwinds must galvanise India into bold, once-in-a-generation reforms, while also diversifying our export markets to secure long-term growth and resilience.”

Kant emphasised that the Viksit Bharat vision of India becoming a fully developed country by 2047 was realistic. “India in 2047, as a fully developed country, is not a distant dream, and very few countries have become developed within one generation,” he said.

He also called for improving administrative clearances for startups, pointing out that it currently takes six and a half months for registration in India, compared with 24 hours in New Zealand and Singapore. Kant urged CBIC officers to expedite GST registration and make the process hassle-free.