India-US Trade Deal Updates: Brendan Lynch Kicks Off Talks In Delhi, Arrives At Commerce Ministry

Brendan Lynch, assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, arrived at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry at Vanijya Bhawan in Delhi on Tuesday morning to revive negotiations on trade.

A team of US negotiators will hold closed-door talks with the chief Indian negotiator, Rajesh Agrawal, on the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) after a planned late August meeting was stalled. The talks are expected to create the ground for the sixth round of Indo-US negotiations in the coming weeks, as per government sources.

The trade negotiations come in the backdrop of the Trump administration's 50% tariff on Indian goods that includes a 25% levy as a penalty for purchasing Russian oil  – a move New Delhi has slammed as 'unjustified'.

The meeting is seen as a key step toward finalising the first tranche of the trade deal by the year-end, as committed by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February.

Brendan Lynch is the point man on America's complex trade negotiations with India, overseeing the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) and broader engagement across the region.

With over a decade of experience at USTR, Lynch brings sectoral expertise in agriculture, manufacturing, services, and intellectual property — areas that continue to dominate the negotiation table.

Lynch, who previously served as Deputy Assistant USTR and Director for India, has managed some of the most sensitive aspects of the bilateral trade relationship. His early career included promoting US agricultural trade interests in global forums, as well as negotiating on food safety standards and market access, issues that remain central to India-US discussions.

Before joining USTR, he worked as an International Trade Analyst at the US International Trade Commission, where he advised Congress on trade barriers.