A potential trade deal with the US that offers lower tariffs on India’s labour-intensive exports would be a “big advantage” and a strategic opportunity, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery said during an exclusive interview at the UN.

Speaking on the sidelines of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, Bery said such a deal could give India a competitive edge over nations like Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, which face higher tariffs under proposed US trade measures.

“If we could get low-duty access for our labour-intensive products while competitors don’t, that would be quite important for us,” Bery said. He acknowledged that trade negotiations involve compromises but emphasized the potential upside for India’s manufacturing sector.

US President Donald Trump has set an August 1 deadline for finalizing trade deals. Under current proposals, tariffs could be as high as 35% for Bangladesh, 36% for Thailand, and 25% for Malaysia — far higher than what may be offered to India.

Bery downplayed concerns about the broader impact of US tariffs, noting that India’s growth model is less trade-reliant than other Asian economies.

He also stressed that technology transfer and global linkages are more crucial than capital alone. Highlighting India’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, Bery said it has helped attract major companies like Apple to manufacture iPhones in India.

“There’s a lot of interest in India,” he noted, “but businesses still face challenges, especially at the state level. There’s no one ‘Big Thing,’ but we need to make doing business easier.”