Donald Trump To Be US President Again, Here's What It May Mean For India

Donald Trump is no-longer just a former US president, he is a president-elect once again. Trump trounced current Vice President and Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris in recently held US Presidential Election 2024. Trump's return to the White House has energised his supporters but has also caused worry in certain parts of the world. After all, a US president can influence world politics in a way perhaps no other head of state can. What does India have to gain or lose from a second Trump presidency? Let's take a look.

India-China rivalry

Both the countries have recently carried out disengagement in stand-off between their armies at Line-of-Actual-Control in Ladakh.

Trump is known to be a fierce China critic. From the issue of Covid to high-tariffs, Trump has slammed China repeatedly during his first term. He even threatened to take the US out of World Health Organisation (WHO) alleging that the apex body was not strict enough against China.

It is likely that Trump's overall anti-China sentiment would benefit India in its rivalry with China. But increasingly assertive China is likely to resist this pressure as well.

Immigration

Trump has always had hardline stance against illegal immigrants and immigration in general. In the run-up to the 2016 US Presidential Election, he even vowed that he would build a wall on US-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants from entering US. The grand project did not materialise but the insistence on a physical barrier continued to underline Trump's stance.

Trump's outlook is America-centric and he often talks about employing US professional first before offering jobs to foreign nationals. India is one of those countries which sends large number of skilled professionals on H1-B visas.

How Trump chooses to modify/ overhaul/ continue the visa regime will have great ramifications in thousands of Indian households.

Tariffs And Trade

Trump has in past repeatedly said that the high tariffs and taxes India imposes on US-made products make these items expensive in Indian market thereby losing their competitiveness.

During his first term, Trump asked India to reduce taxes on Harley Davidson motorcycles. If he chooses to take a hardline stance again during his next term, India may have some trade negotiations on it hands.

Human Rights

When Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu & Kashmir in 2019, Trump did not make any major comments against it. Biden administration on the other hand chose to give hints about possible human rights violations.

India-Canada Relations

While Trump is not likely to fully abandon ties between US and Canada to support India, it is worth noting that after his victory, he chose to speak with PM Narendra Modi before Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

Published on: Thursday, November 07, 2024, 02:47 PM IST