'milk, Butter And Cheese In Us Is...': Banker Points To A Hidden Snag In India-us Trade Talks

Why is American beverage excessively arguable for India? It’s not astir quality, it’s astir what nan cows eat. And now, 1 finance banker has put a spotlight connected what’s softly blocking a billion-dollar waste and acquisition deal.

“The milk, butter, and food successful nan US is ‘non-vegetarian’...” writes finance banker Sarthak Ahuja successful a LinkedIn station — a item he says is cardinal to why U.S.-India waste and acquisition talks are stuck.

According to Ahuja, U.S. dairy cows are routinely fed animal byproducts — chicken, pig remains, and humor — to summation macromolecule intake and beverage yield. For India, wherever complete 30% of nan organization is vegetarian, that makes nan last merchandise unacceptable.

The Indian authorities insists that immoderate dairy imports must beryllium certified free of animal-derived provender — a “non-negotiable reddish line,” according to waste and acquisition officials. Washington, meanwhile, calls these standards overly restrictive and has raised them arsenic waste and acquisition barriers astatine nan WTO.

But civilization isn’t nan only concern. Ahuja points to a acold larger risk: India’s ain dairy economy. “India is nan world’s largest shaper of milk,” he notes. “Eight crore group dangle connected nan manufacture for their livelihood.”

He warns that allowing heavy subsidized U.S. dairy products could origin home beverage prices to driblet by up to 15%, starring to imaginable yearly losses of complete ₹1 lakh crore for Indian farmers — galore of them smallholders already connected nan edge.

Until some sides scope a compromise, nan waste and acquisition woody remains frozen. And starting August 2025, nan U.S. could deed backmost pinch caller tariffs connected Indian exports.

Published on: Jul 18, 2025 6:59 AM IST