U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration intends to press India to give online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart full access to its $125 billion e-commerce market, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing industry executives, lobbyists and U.S. government officials.
The U.S. plans to push Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for a level playing field on e-commerce in wide-ranging talks on a U.S.-India trade agreement set to also cover sectors from food to cars, the newspaper reported.
It did not mention what measures the Trump administration expects from the Indian government.
Amazon and Walmart operate in India through local units but face restrictions on holding inventory and directly selling to consumers, unlike domestic firm Reliance, which can open physical stores and leverage its vast retail network to reach customers across the country.
Amazon and Walmart did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
India and U.S. are in the middle of chalking out a trade deal as part of New Delhi’s efforts to avoid U.S. tariffs.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance also met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, as officials in New Delhi expect to clinch a trade deal with the U.S. within the 90-day pause on tariff hikes announced by Trump on April 9 for major trading partners.
Reuters
