- India and the US agreed to intensify efforts to finalise a trade agreement soon
- Indian Commerce Ministry described talks as positive and forward-looking
- US chief negotiator Brendan Lynch met Indian counterparts in New Delhi
India and the US have agreed to step up efforts to conclude a mutually beneficial trade agreement at the earliest, following discussions between trade teams in New Delhi.
Talks, described as “positive and forward-looking" by the Indian Commerce Ministry, covered multiple aspects of the proposed deal, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to a balanced and mutually beneficial outcome.
“It was decided to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement,” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
The US Embassy also called the meeting positive after US chief negotiator Brendan Lynch and other American officials met their Indian counterparts in New Delhi on Tuesday after a planned late August meeting was stalled.
The meeting marks a fresh push to resolve pending issues and unlock opportunities for enhanced bilateral trade, even as global trade tensions remain elevated.
The talks are expected to create the ground for the sixth round of India-US negotiations in the coming weeks, government sources told NDTV Profit.
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 Modi in February.
India is expected to stick to its red lines on agriculture and dairy, to protect the interests of MSMEs, farmers, livestock holders and fishermen.
The resumption of India-US trade talks comes after a period of brief disruption, triggered by the imposition of 50% tariffs on New Delhi.
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