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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23-year-old woman found dead at Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old woman was found dead in her house in Delhi's Prem Nagar area, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, an official said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Anjali Singh, was found motionless in her room on Monday by her sister and her neighbour.
Police said her father, Vinod Kumar Singh (51), told them that he and his wife were away at work at the time of the incident, while their son and the other daughter were also not at home at the time of the incident.
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According to the family, the room in which Anjali was found was locked from the inside. The door was later forcibly opened by a neighbour and her sister with the help of a crowbar.
Her body was found lying on the bed inside the room, police said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that Anjali had allegedly hanged herself using a piece of cloth tied to the ceiling fan.
It is suspected that the noose eventually might have loosened or torn off, resulting in her being found lying on the bed.
Family members informed the police that Anjali was a final-year student of a librarian science course from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). About a week ago, her final-year examination results were declared, and she had failed, following which she had been under depression, they said.
The family has not raised any allegation of foul play, police said, adding that no suicide note or external injury marks were found on the body during the initial inspection.
Inquest proceedings have been initiated in the matter as per the law. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death, and further investigation is underway, police added.
