Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck a defiant tone in the face of US President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, urging the nation to buy local goods as his administration signaled it would continue buying Russian oil.

In February US President Donald Trump hosted Narendra Modi in the Oval Office, embracing the Indian prime minister and hailing him as “a great friend”. Just six months later, relations between the leaders of the world’s two biggest democracies have deteriorated,

There is a growing sense in India that its leaders should not allow American policymaking to shape its choices on vital energy supplies.