India and the United States have decided to intensify discussions to fast-track the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), aiming for an early conclusion of a “mutually beneficial” pact, the Commerce Department said on Friday.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal led a high-level delegation to Washington from September 22–24, where he met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also participated in the September 22 round of talks, which focused primarily on trade and tariff-related issues.
“The delegation had constructive meetings with the U.S. Government on various aspects of the deal. Both sides exchanged views on possible contours of the deal, and it was decided to continue the engagements with a view to achieving early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement,” the Commerce Department said.
While both governments are working toward the October–November deadline set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump in February, progress is being slowed by Washington’s 50% import duties on Indian goods, including a 25% penalty linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil. The U.S. has indicated reluctance to lower tariffs until the issue is resolved, while India maintains that its energy trade with Russia is legitimate and mirrors practices of other Western nations.
In addition to government-level talks, the Indian delegation engaged with U.S. businesses and investors, who expressed confidence in India’s economic trajectory and signaled interest in expanding operations.
Although no date has been announced for the sixth round of formal BTA negotiations, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to conclude the first tranche of the deal within the targeted timeframe.
