Monsoon Session: Protecting farmers, MSMEs key in India-US trade talks, says Goyal
Both the Houses were adjourned for the day amid protests by Opposition over several issues, including Trump tariff and Bihar electoral roll revision
Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were adjourned for the day on Thursday (July 31) amid protests by the Opposition parties over various issues including the US announcing 25% tariff on India and electoral roll revision in Bihar. Both the Houses witnessed repeated adjournments throughout the day.
However, before being adjourned for the day, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal making a statement on US President Donald Trump's move to impose 25 per cent tariff on India. In his statement, Goyal said that the central government will take all steps to protect the country's interests.
Goyal said that India has risen from the 11th to the fifth largest economy in the past decade due to the contributions of its farmers and MSMEs, and emphasised the need to protect their interests while negotiating any trade deal. He said the Indian government is examining the impact of the US move on Indian exporters and the economy.
As soon as the statement got over, Opposition MPs rushed to the well and raised slogans demanded a discussion on special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. "If you want to have a discussion, go to your seats and if you want to raise slogans then hit the streets," Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla told the protesting MPs. With the Opposition MPs not relenting, he adjourned the House for the day.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi mounted a fresh offensive on the NDA government, saying everybody except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman know that India is a “dead economy”, as he alleged that the BJP-led government has destroyed India's economic, defence and foreign policies.
Speaking with reporters in the Parliament House complex, Rahul also claimed that a trade deal with the US will happen and Trump will define it, while Prime Minister Modi will do what the American President tells him to do.
Rahul’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of 25 per cent tariff and penalties on India and called India and Russia “dead economies”.
Earlier, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi joined other INDIA bloc MPs outside Parliament at Makar Dwar, protesting against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Holding a banner that read “SIR – Attack on Democracy,” they were accompanied by leaders like Pramod Tiwari and Manickam Tagore. The protest included caricatures and sharp slogans targeting the EC.
Also read related Parliament stories:
10 things S Jaishankar said on Operation Sindoor in Rajya Sabha today
Did Modi govt answer all questions on Op Sindoor in Parliamentary debate?
Trump embarrasses Modi again? Ceasefire claim sparks political storm
Nehru-Congress-bashing again and again; Modi concludes his 100-minute speech
‘Op Sindoor could resume’, govt asserts in LS, denies US role in India-Pak truce
Operation Sindoor debate: How did terrorists come to Pahalgam? Gogoi asks Centre
Follow this space for further updates
Live Updates
- 31 July 2025 8:17 PM IST
That is it, folks!
This Live has ended. Please keep reading The Federal for all news updates.
- 31 July 2025 4:56 PM IST
Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day
Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid protests by Opposition MPs against the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.
- 31 July 2025 4:55 PM IST
Commerce Ministry in talks with stakeholders on US tariff impact: Goyal
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the government is closely examining the implications of Trump’s 25% tariff on India. He added that the Commerce Ministry is consulting stakeholders, including exporters and industry, to assess the impact.
- 31 July 2025 4:53 PM IST
India moving towards Viksit Bharat 2047 with self-reliance, confidence: Goyal
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, “The government is confident that India will continue its rapid and inclusive development on the path to Viksit Bharat 2047. With self-reliance as our goal, the nation is moving forward with self-confidence.”
- 31 July 2025 4:45 PM IST
India set to be third largest economy, says Goyal after Trump's swipe
In what appeared to be a response to US President Donald Trump's jibe that India is a 'dead economy', Goyal highlighted that the Indian economy will soon become the third largest in the world in terms of GDP size and is currently the world's fastest growing major economy. He also said that in a span of few years India has gone from being the world's 11th largest to the 5th largest.
- 31 July 2025 4:39 PM IST
India to take all steps to protect national interest: Goyal
Goyal said the central government will take all steps to protect the country's national interest, a day after US President Donald Trump announced his decision to impose 25 per cent tariffs on India, citing New Delhi's decision to buy Russian oil and weapons.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Goyal further said that the central government is examining the implications of Trump's decision to impose 25 per cent tariffs. He said that India and the United States had begun talks for a "balanced and mutually beneficial" Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) in March this year, with an aim to conclude the first stage of the agreement by October or November this year.
"On 2nd April 2025, the US President issued an executive order on reciprocal tariffs... 10% baseline duty in effect since 5th April 2025. With a 10% baseline tariff, a total of 26% tariff was announced for India. A full country-specific additional tariff was scheduled to come into effect on 9th April 2025. But on 10th April 2025 this was extended initially for 90 days and then extended till 1st August 2025," he said.
- 31 July 2025 4:22 PM IST
India assessing impact of Trump's 25% tariff on exports: Goyal
The Indian government is examining the impact of US President Donald Trump's recent 25% tariff announcement on Indian exporters and the economy, says Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
- 31 July 2025 4:17 PM IST
Lok Sabha adjourned for the day
Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal made a statement on the US imposing 25 per cent tariff on India.
- 31 July 2025 4:16 PM IST
'We are ready to take any step to secure our national interest': Goyal
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that India has risen from the 11th to the fifth largest economy in the past decade due to the contributions of its farmers and MSMEs, and emphasised the need to protect their interests while negotiating any trade deal.
- 31 July 2025 4:10 PM IST
Goyal may reiterate statement in Rajya Sabha
The commerce minister is expected to reiterate the statement on US tariff in Rajya Sabha when it re-convenes at 4.30 pm.
