‘More likely to happen in Lagaan’: Harsh Goenka Takes Dig At Trump Over ‘Pakistan May Sell Oil To India’ Remark

Last Updated:August 01, 2025, 14:06 IST

Former US President Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods, warning of more penalties due to India’s Russia ties. He revealed a new trade deal with Pakistan.

Former US President Donald Trump has announced a steep 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from India starting August 1. In addition, he warned of further penalties due to India’s continued purchase of oil and military equipment from Russia.

Adding to the surprise, Trump also revealed a new trade partnership with Pakistan. He claimed the US and Pakistan would work together to tap into Pakistan’s untapped oil reserves—and even floated the idea that Pakistan could one day sell oil to India.

Business leader Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Enterprises, responded sharply to the idea. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Goenka joked, “Saying Pakistan will sell oil to India is like saying a tailender will hit a triple century in a T20 match. Technically possible, but more likely to happen in Lagaan than in real life.”

His comment quickly went viral, with social media users echoing his skepticism and criticizing Trump’s move. One user posted, “Trump’s goal is clearly to provoke India. He knows our leaders don’t usually speak up.”

Another added, “This is just Trump playing a dirty game. He’s using the India-Pakistan issue to pressure us into trade deals. And sadly, we’ve not responded strongly enough.”

Meanwhile, Goenka shared his thoughts on how India should react. He noted that sectors like IT, steel, and pharma might not be heavily impacted by the tariffs. Instead, he urged India to focus on joint ventures in the US and to strengthen trade ties with Europe and ASEAN nations.

“India should turn this challenge into an opportunity,” he wrote. “Let’s take advantage of the global shift away from China. It’s time to look east and make bold moves.”

As for Trump, he posted on Truth Social confirming the US-Pakistan oil partnership, saying: “We’ve finalized a deal with Pakistan to explore their massive oil reserves. We’re now selecting the oil company for the project. Who knows, maybe someday they’ll be selling oil to India!”

His statement has left many in India raising eyebrows—not just over the tariff hike, but the bigger geopolitical message it sends.

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