By Admin 
US President Donald Trump’s senior business advisor Peter Navarro has once again made sharp attacks on India. He raised the question why American people are paying for AI services in India. He strongly criticized India’s Russian oil import and trade policies. This statement has come at a time when there is a deadlock over the trade agreement between America and India and the Trump administration has imposed 50% tariffs on India.
Americans should not give money to India for AI
Peter Navarro said in an interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon on ‘Real America Voice’, ‘Why are Americans paying for AI? ChatGPT operates on US soil and uses US electricity, while serving large users in India, China and around the world.
He described AI infrastructure (data centres) as the next big issue and said that this will also be addressed.
India is the king of tariffs: Navarro
Navarro called India the ‘Maharaja of Tariffs’ and claimed that India is the country with the highest tariffs in the world. He reiterated earlier comments that India was making ‘blood money’ from Russian oil imports, which were funding Russia’s Ukraine war machine. He called India ‘Kremlin’s laundromat’ and even called the Ukraine war ‘Modi’s war’.
Additionally, Navarro expressed concern over the purchase of American agricultural land. He said that foreign organizations are buying American agricultural land at a price 10 times higher than the actual price, which may increase food inflation in America.
Trump imposed 50% tariff on India
These statements of Navarro have come at a time when the Trump administration has imposed 50% tariff on India for continuing to buy Russian oil. Talks on trade agreement between the two countries are stalled. India has been buying oil from Russia at a discount, increasing from 1.7% in 2019-20 to 35% in 2024-25. India calls it a matter of energy security and is not breaking any international sanctions.
Navarro has been a supporter of strict tariff policy since Trump’s first term. He has played a key role in imposing tariffs on China. His past comments on India have also been controversial, such as his use of the ‘Brahmin’ analogy in 2025, which was strongly condemned by India.
How did India react to Navarro’s statement?
The State Department called Navarro’s comments “unacceptable” and “misinformed.” MEA said that such things weaken mutual respect and do not show the depth of India-US relations. India has always said that purchasing Russian oil is for energy security and it is legal.