Why is agriculture the elephant in the India–US trade deal?

The new India–US trade deal announcement puts agriculture at the centre because Trump is promising huge US farm exports and tariff cuts, but both sides have shared very few concrete details. So everyone is watching what India has really agreed on sensitive farm and dairy sectors.

Trump has claimed tariffs on Indian goods will drop from 50 percent to 18 percent if India cuts Russian oil imports, lowers trade barriers and buys more US energy, tech and farm products, yet he has not specified which crops, volumes or timelines. Legal steps to actually implement these tariff cuts are also still pending. So there is a gap between strong political claims and formal documentation.

On the other hand, India signals a more cautious line as it talks of technology, MSMEs and access for some agricultural products but it keeps clear red lines on dairy, rice and wheat. Past talks show India was only willing to explore narrow openings such as limited corn or soy products, often non food or non GM, so as to shield small farmers and the dairy ecosystem.