India, March 10 -- US President Donald Trump's tariffs on Indian goods may not be bad news, as they would push the Indian government to lower trade barriers, spurring competition and growth, said former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor Viral Acharya.

Indian firms would thus be forced to raise their standards and compete with global rivals, Acharya said in an interview with Bloomberg. This, he added, would also lead to higher-quality jobs and a larger manufacturing base.

Acharya is now the director of doctoral education at the NYU Stern School of Business. He was the RBI deputy governor between 2017 and 2019.

Trump has threatened to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries from April 2, 2025, raising taxes on imports to the US ...