India’s double game backfires, humiliated in comity of nations
Washington signals end of patience with New Delhi’s duplicity
Islamabad: India’s much-trumpeted “strategic autonomy” has backfired as its double game between Washington and Moscow has left it humiliated in the comity of nations. The United States has imposed up to 50 percent tariffs on Indian exports, a crushing blow that exposes New Delhi’s duplicity and opportunism on the global stage.
According to Kashmir Media Service, analysts said Washington views India’s surging Russian oil imports as a direct channel of funding for Moscow’s war machine. By buying discounted crude from Russia and reselling refined products abroad, India has been accused of profiteering from global instability. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went as far as branding India’s conduct as “profiteering from war.”
The punitive tariffs—among the steepest ever applied—will target over 55 percent of India’s $87 billion exports to the US, striking at critical sectors such as textiles, engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, and IT hardware. Exporters have warned that these measures will not only dent Indian revenues but also hand a competitive edge to rival economies like Bangladesh, Vietnam, and China, potentially causing India to permanently lose dominance in its most lucrative export market.
The immediate fallout was visible in India’s financial markets. The Indian rupee fell to a three-week low at INR 87.68 per US dollar, while the NSE and BSE benchmark indices each shed 1 percent, marking their worst session in three months.
Observers note that New Delhi’s reckless bid to keep both Washington and Moscow close has spectacularly misfired. What India termed an “economic choice” has triggered a strategic backlash. The US tariffs signal the end of patience with New Delhi’s ambiguity, forcing it to make hard choices instead of playing both sides.
Analysts say the global perception of India is shifting rapidly—from a so-called “emerging power” to an opportunistic actor whose duplicity carries consequences. The tariffs are not merely an economic penalty but a political message: Washington will no longer tolerate India’s attempts to exploit global crises while pretending to uphold partnership with the West.
