Indian media primarily focused on the escalating US-India trade dispute throughout the day. Following President Trump's firm stance against trade talks until tariff issues resolved, reports surfaced of major US retailers halting orders from India. Initial reports suggested India had paused or cancelled US weapon purchases and postponed the Defense Minister's US visit, though the Ministry of Defence later denied these claims, asserting purchases remained unaffected. Concurrently, Prime Minister Modi engaged in strategic diplomatic outreach, including talks with Russian President Putin and an SCO summit visit to China. A second prominent editorial priority was Rahul Gandhi's intensifying allegations of 'vote theft' against the Election Commission. Gandhi explicitly challenged the EC to release electronic data and responded to their demand for an affidavit by asserting his parliamentary oath. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal maintained India would not yield to pressure regarding tariffs, countering Trump's 'dead economy' remarks.