‘I’ve tried to dissuade him, but unsuccessfully’: Elon Musk on Donald Trump’s tariff policy

Tesla owner Elon Musk said he tried to dissuade US president Donald Trump from imposing tariffs but was unsuccessful. His comments come at a time when India’s GDP grew at a higher-than-expected pace of 8.2 per cent despite US tariffs.

While speaking on Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath’s ‘People by WTF’ podcast, he said: “I mean, the president has made it clear that he likes tariffs. You know, I’ve tried to dissuade him from that point of view, but to no avail.”

He also stated that he is a supporter of free trade, adding that tariffs or other similar barriers do not make sense even on a basic level.

“Do you want tariffs between you and everyone else on an individual level? That would make life very difficult. Do you want tariffs between every city? No, that would be very annoying. Do you want tariffs between every state within the United States? That would be disastrous for the economy. So why do you want tariffs between countries?”

India’s GDP growth was not affected by US tariffs

The Indian economy expanded at a stronger-than-expected rate of 8.2% in the second quarter of FY26. According to official data, this represents the highest level in six quarters, up from 7.8% in the first quarter of FY25 and 5.6% in the same quarter of FY25.

Growth was driven by agriculture, manufacturing, public administration and other services, as well as financial services, real estate and professional services, supported by a favorable low base.

Commenting on India’s GDP numbers, Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran said: “The full-year forecast is now 7% or higher… The picture looks like steady growth in the third quarter.”

He explained, “The confluence of stable inflation, sustainable public capital expenditures, and the momentum of reforms positions the economy to face risks, as reflected in the upward revisions to GDP growth forecasts for the fiscal year 2026 by various agencies.”

Ongoing structural reforms, such as implementation of labor laws, rationalization of GST rate, new personal income tax regime, and deregulation initiatives, continue to enhance efficiency and competitiveness, Nageswaran added.

Can the United States achieve “China Plus” without India?

Given India’s economic growth despite US tariffs, former US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt said US companies “cannot have a China plus one strategy” without a strong presence in India.

“I would like to emphasize that we all have a great interest in getting the US-India strategic relationship back on track, including the current disagreements on trade issues. I believe energy will be key to unlocking that,” he said while speaking to Hindustan Times.