Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has urged for trust in India's approach to trade negotiations, in an exclusive interview with NDTV. This statement comes as a direct response to recent claims made by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Lutnick, speaking on the 'All-In Podcast,' asserted that the proposed India-US trade agreement failed to materialize because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not place a phone call to then-President Donald Trump to finalize the pact. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has firmly rejected Lutnick's comments, labeling them 'not accurate.' The MEA highlighted that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump had engaged in eight phone conversations during 2025, contrary to the suggestion of a lack of communication. India has consistently reiterated its interest in securing a 'mutually beneficial trade deal' with the United States. Goyal has previously underscored India's stance, emphasizing that the country negotiates from a position of strength, prioritizing national interest, and does not operate under artificial deadlines or external pressure. He has maintained that any trade agreement India enters into must be 'fair, equitable, and balanced,' and must safeguard the interests of all domestic stakeholders, including farmers, fishermen, and small industries. Furthermore, Goyal conveyed India's long-term vision, stating that it will be a $30 trillion economy in two decades and will not accept suboptimal deals. Despite multiple rounds of negotiations in 2025, the India-US trade deal has faced difficulties. A significant point of contention has been the 50% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Indian goods, which include an additional 25% due to India's purchases of Russian oil – an action India has termed 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.' The United States remained India's largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, with bilateral trade reaching $131.84 billion. The ongoing dialogue underscores the complexities and differing priorities in forging a comprehensive trade agreement between the two nations.