Resilient domestic economy gives India space to negotiate U.S. trade deal, sources say

By Manoj Kumar and Ashwin Manikandan NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) -India’s strong domestic economy and a smaller-than-expected hit to exports are giving New Delhi more room to negotiate a trade deal with Washington, which has imposed tariffs as high as 50% on imports from the country, Indian sources and analysts said. Indian exports to the U.S. dropped 8.6% year-on-year to $6.3 billion in October, the second month that the 50% tariff on imports from the country was in place. The decline was lesser than the 12% drop in September. Negotiations between New Delhi and Washington have dragged on even as other Asian countries like Japan and South Korea have struck deals to bring down tariffs. Indian officials have publicly maintained that India will not rush to sign a deal. "For now, we’ve avoided