TRUMP2.0:
What does it mean for India & the world?
FRIDAY
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm FEB 14
2 0 2 5
MMA MANAGEMENT CENTER
SYNOPSIS
The new U.S. administration under Donald Trump brings with it a mix of continuity and disruption in global affairs While alarming headlines dominate media narratives, a deeper analysis of Trump’s pronouncements reveals they are often shaped by domestic political compulsions rather than clear strategic direction.
Domestic Political Context and Policy Challenges
Trump’s coalition comprises diverse and often conflicting groups, making governance a balancing act The Republican Party, holding a slim majority in the House and a fragile control over the Senate, faces internal divisions, limiting Trump’s ability to push through major legislative changes without significant negotiations. His domestic policy priorities including controlling inflation, implementing tax cuts, and imposing tariffs are inherently contradictory and may create economic tensions both within the U.S. and globally.
China: A Central Focus of U.S. Foreign Policy
China remains a key strategic competitor for the U.S., with Washington increasingly concerned about a potential Chinese military move on Taiwan before 2027. The administration’s stance is expected to be aggressive, including continued trade restrictions, technological decoupling, and closer ties with regional allies.
Implications for India
Strategic Importance: India will continue to be viewed as a crucial counterbalance to China in the Indo-Pacific, leading to stronger defense and diplomatic engagements.
Trade and Tariffs: India’s trade surplus with the U.S. and tariffs on American high-end goods might come under scrutiny, potentially leading to trade negotiations or retaliatory measures.
AI and Technology: Advances in artificial intelligence, particularly in automation and job displacement, could impact Indian businesses reliant on the U.S. market.
Biotech Opportunities: The U.S. administration’s growing wariness of Chinese biotech products presents opportunities for India to expand its footprint in the global biotech sector.
Immigration Policies: The status of Indian undocumented immigrants in the U.S. could be affected by stricter enforcement policies, while H-1B visa reforms may continue to be a contentious issue.
Global Ramifications
Trump’s presidency signals a return to economic nationalism, aggressive trade policies, and a transactional approach to diplomacy. While India may benefit strategically, economic and trade frictions could pose challenges. The evolving geopolitical landscape demands a calibrated response from New Delhi to navigate both opportunities and risks under the new U.S. administration.
Programme
5:15 PM
Registration & Hi-Tea
6:00 PM
Welcome Address
Mr Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy
Senior Vice President, MMA & Managing Director, Sundaram Home Finance Ltd
Chairman’s Opening Remarks
K Kumar
Retired Partner of Deloitte, India
Address by the Speaker
Gopal Ratnam
Technology & Policy Writer and Editor
Washington, D.C, USA & Senior Staff Writer, CQ Roll Call
Speaker in conversation with Special Invitees and Q&A
Air Marshal M Matheswaran, AVSM, VM, Ph.D (Retd) Chairman & President
The Peninsula Foundation, Chennai
K Kumar
7:25 PM Vote of Thanks
Gp. Capt. R Vijayakumar (Retd), VSM Executive Director, Madras Management Association
7:30 PM
End of the program
Mr Gopal Ratnam
Technology & Policy Writer and Editor
Washington, D.C, USA &
Senior Staff Writer, CQ
Roll Call
Gopal Ratnam is a Washington D.C., based journalist with nearly three decades of experience covering U S national security, foreign, and tech policy issues. He has covered several presidential administrations from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden.
Gopal has reported and written about U.S. international arms trade, the U.S. defense industry, and national security. As a Pentagon correspondent he has traveled extensively with U.S. defense secretaries and reported from 30 countries around the world, including weeks-long reporting of U.S. military operations and nation-building efforts in Afghanistan
Recently he has been reporting on U.S. tech policy debates including data privacy, cybersecurity, online mis- and disinformation campaigns, and policies & regulations aimed at artificial intelligence technologies
His work has been published in Defense News, Bloomberg News, Foreign Policy, Congressional Quarterly, Roll Call, The Washington Post, Seattle Times, Boston Globe and others He has appeared on C-SPAN, MSNBC, National Public Radio, and Al Jazeera.
He has a graduate degree in journalism from American University, Washington D.C., and an MBA from Bharathidasan Institute of Management, Tiruchi. He was the 2023 recipient of the Heinrich-Boell Foundation trans-Atlantic media fellowship for reporting on the European Union’s technology policies and what they mean for U.S. companies.
Air Marshal M Matheswaran, AVSM, VM, Ph.D (Retd)
Chairman & President
The Peninsula Foundation, Chennai
Air Marshal M Matheswaran, AVSM VM Ph.D (Veteran) is an Indian Air Force veteran of 39 years ’ service and an outstanding fighter pilot, who has been an Experimental Test Pilot at the Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment and a Fighter Combat Leader of the Tactics & Air Combat Development Establishment. By virtue of holding significant command and staff appointments, he gathered extensive experience in Defence Strategy, Research & Development, Space Strategy and Electronics & Information Warfare; before retiring while being the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, responsible for policy, plans and force development. The President of India has honoured him by the awards of Athi Vishsht Seva Medal and Vayu Sena Medal A soldierscholar, he holds a Ph.D in Defence & Strategic Studies from the University of Madras, a postgraduate diploma in Finance Management and a Senior Fellowship in International & National Security from Harvard University’s John F Kennedy School of Governance He is an alumnus of the National Defence College, New Delhi. The Air Marshal is the Founder-President of ‘The Peninsula Foundation’ a Chennai-based, non-profit, non-partisan, public policy research think tank. He is also a strategic consultant for aerospace and defence industries.
Profile
Mr K Kumar
Retired Partner of Deloitte, India
Mr Kumar Kandaswami retired as a Partner, Board Member and Industries leader at Deloitte India He has had a career of over 37 years in management consulting.
He has played leadership roles in the manufacturing for Deloitte India, Asia Pacific and in the global research group He led and managed assignments for large listed entities, particularly in the automotive space. He has also served clients in the process industries, industrial products and consumer business. He specialises in strategy & operations and has worked in areas such as supply chain transformation, market entry and corporate and competitive strategy, etc. He has authored several reports in the areas of manufacturing, innovation and governance.
Kumar was a member of the Manufacturing Committee for FICCI and Chairman of the Supply Chain Committee of The American Chamber of Commerce in India. He was a member of the Industry Advisory Board of the Munjal Institute of Global Manufacturing, ISB
Mr Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy
Senior Vice President, MMA & Managing Director, Sundaram Home Finance Ltd
Mr Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy is currently the Managing Director of Sundaram Home Finance Limited. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, with expertise in risk management, operations and strategy He was the Chief Operating Officer of Sundaram AMC till 2019. He joined Sundaram Asset Management Company in 2009 and prior to that, he worked for GE Capital India and Australia in various risk management and business development roles across commercial finance, consumer finance and healthcare. He started his career with Citibank in retail operations before moving to GE Capital.
Mr Lakshminarayanan is a commerce graduate, qualified Cost Accountant and Master of Business Administration (Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai). He is also the Senior Vice President of Madras Management Association.
