India may have sealed a long-awaited trade deal with the UK, but entrepreneur and Shark Tank judge Anupam Mittal says the United States is still “playing hardball”—despite the Indian diaspora powering the core of its economy.
In a pointed LinkedIn post, Mittal, founder of the People Group, contrasted the UK’s red-carpet diplomacy with what he sees as the US’s outdated playbook of “posture over partnership.”
“After years of colonial hangover, it’s finally India calling the shots—this time, with spreadsheets not swords,” he wrote, celebrating the India-UK trade agreement. But he didn’t hold back on America’s approach: “Visas remain a mess, trade negotiations are dragging, and posture > partnership.”
Mittal highlighted the irony: while the US stalls at the negotiating table, Indian talent is building its economy from the inside. “Tech? Mostly run by Indians. Wall Street? Flooded with Indian-origin fund managers. VC-backed startups? At least one Indian founder on the cap table,” he noted.
“There was a time when being Indian was a ceiling in corporate America. Now it’s almost a prerequisite.”
Despite India needing a favorable trade arrangement, Mittal emphasized that New Delhi is “engaging on its own terms” as the world’s fastest-growing major economy. His message to Washington was direct: “Doesn’t look like bullying will work.”
And in classic Mittal flair, he added a tongue-in-cheek warning: “India should issue a counter ultimatum—play ball or we bring back our Kohinoors.”
