India has refuted claims by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that a bilateral trade deal stalled because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not call President Donald Trump. India's External Affairs Ministry stated Lutnick's characterization is inaccurate, noting Modi and Trump spoke eight times in 2025. A think tank also countered, asserting trade deals depend on policy, not just leader-level calls, and that negotiations continued past the timeline Lutnick suggested.