India, Jan. 10 -- New Delhi on Friday rejected as "factually incorrect" comments made by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggesting that a long-discussed India-US trade agreement failed to materialise last year because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not place a phone call to President Donald Trump.

India maintained that it continues to seek a fair and mutually advantageous trade agreement with the United States, describing the two nations as "complementary economies." The government also underlined that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump spoke by telephone eight times in 2025, discussing a broad range of bilateral and global issues.

The response came amid growing strain in ties between New Delhi and Washington, which are wid...