Only 15 billionaires run India, claims Trump-era trade chief Lighthizer
Indian friend told him just 7 truly control government, rest only try to influence them
New Delhi: Former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who spearheaded Donald Trump’s trade negotiations with India, has claimed that the Indian government operates under the influence of a handful of powerful billionaires.
In his 2023 memoir No Trade Is Free, Lighthizer revealed that during negotiations, he kept biographies of about 15 Indian billionaires on his desk to predict the government's stance. “I thought there were fifteen oligarchs who basically ran the country,” he wrote, adding that an Indian business friend corrected him: “Only about seven of them actually run the country. The others just try to influence the seven.”
Lighthizer’s statement offers a striking endorsement of a long-standing allegation by India’s Opposition, that the Modi government is heavily influenced by elite business interests.
Although he did not name the billionaires, the reference is widely interpreted to include industrialists like Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, who are often accused by critics of enjoying privileged access to the government.
Lighthizer, who served under Trump from 2017 to 2021, described these billionaires as "oligarchs" and called their sway over government "unusual." His comments offer a rare glimpse into how the Trump administration viewed India, not just as a trade partner, but as a system steered by economic elites.
He added that India’s bureaucracy is professionally strong, but policymaking is still often aligned with the priorities of this billionaire class. These views come at a time when Donald Trump has again threatened steep tariffs on Indian exports and accused India of reselling Russian oil for profit.
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Niqab incident: Nitish Kumar perhaps revealing his true colours, says J-K CM
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticised his Bihar counterpart over the niqab incident and said that Nitish Kumar might be slowly revealing his true nature.
"Nitish Kumar, who was once considered a secular leader, may be slowly showing his true colours," Abdullah told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.
Abdullah said Kumar removing the face veil of a Muslim woman doctor was wrong and cannot be justified by any means.
"We have seen this kind of incident here several years ago. Have you forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti removed the burqa of a legitimate voter inside a polling station? That act was wrong, and this act (of Kumar) is also wrong.
"If the (Bihar) chief minister did not want to hand over the order to her (Muslim woman), they could have kept her aside. However, to humiliate her like this is totally wrong," the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
Kumar stirred a huge controversy after he removed the face veil of a Muslim woman at a function earlier this week.
