Panic over Trump’s 15% tariffs? Samir Arora says India’s actually better placed, here's why

Helios Capital founder argues India’s competitive position remains intact as Trump raises global tariffs to 15% after Supreme Court ruling

• Samir Arora says India's position unchanged by US tariff hike
• Most countries now face a 15 percent US tariff, not just India
• Tariff hike seen as US internal issue, not a global disadvantage

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Veteran fund manager Samir Arora has downplayed concerns over US President Donald Trump’s decision to raise global tariffs to 15 percent, arguing that India’s competitive position remains largely unchanged despite the political and legal drama in Washington.

His comments come after Trump increased the global tariff rate from 10 percentto 15 percent, days after the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that it was unconstitutional for the president to unilaterally set and alter tariffs under the challenged framework.

Trump has since said his administration will pursue alternative legal routes to impose new, 'legally permissible' tariffs, including through sections of federal law that require investigations by the Commerce Department.

In an eight-point post on X, the Helios Capital founder argued that India is not uniquely disadvantaged by the move.

“Nothing wrong with 15% as far as India is concerned,” Arora wrote, pointing out that more than 90 countries that were previously subject to a 10% tariff are now at 15%. That group includes key US trading partners such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

His core argument: tariffs exert pressure when countries are treated differently. If most nations face a similar rate, the relative competitive equations remain broadly intact.

“Tariffs have power if you can pitch one country against other. If all countries have 15% (or 10%), how does it matter much — this is more of an internal tax issue for the US now,” he said.

Nothing wrong with 15% as far as India is concerned: a) There were more than 90 countries which had a 10% tariff and I guess they will all be at 15% for now. Some of them are Australia, UK, Singapore, UAE who had 10% tariff before and will now be at 15% b) Tariffs have power… https://t.co/Eq8ZFhgDM8

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— Samir Arora (@Iamsamirarora) February 22, 2026

Arora noted that the earlier 10 percent rate had itself been surprising, given that the maximum allowable ceiling under the framework in question was 15 percent. With Europe, Japan and South Korea effectively 'back to where they were,' the broader global landscape, in his view, has not shifted dramatically.

He also highlighted that the 15 percent rate is currently framed for a 150-day period. Any extension beyond roughly five months, he argued, would require congressional approval, adding a layer of political uncertainty.

Even if India’s tariff exposure were eventually adjusted to 18 percent under other sections of US trade law, Arora suggested that such an outcome would not materially differ from earlier expectations tied to a potential bilateral deal.

“India would have been happy to have a signed deal at 18 percent and for now it is 15 percent,” he wrote.

Trump, for his part, has signalled that his administration will determine and issue new tariffs in the coming months after what he described as a flawed Supreme Court decision. He has indicated that other legal provisions, including those requiring Commerce Department investigations, could be used to justify fresh trade measures.

The 6-3 court ruling struck down the specific mechanism Trump had used to impose and alter tariffs, but did not eliminate other statutory avenues available to the executive branch.