New Delhi— India and the United States have made significant headway toward finalizing the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement, following discussions held in Washington, D.C., from April 23 to 25, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday.
The talks, involving representatives from India’s Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, focused on both tariff and non-tariff issues. Both sides aim to conclude the first tranche of the multi-sector, mutually beneficial agreement by fall 2025 (September–October).
These latest discussions build on earlier meetings held in New Delhi in March 2025. While expert-level engagements have already taken place virtually, in-person sectoral meetings are scheduled to begin at the end of May.
The progress aligns with the Leaders’ Statement issued in February 2025, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump committed to strengthening India-U.S. economic ties and deepening supply chain integration. During Modi’s February visit to Washington, both leaders launched Mission 500, setting an ambitious goal to double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that several major U.S. trading partners had submitted strong proposals to avoid new American tariffs, and that India would likely be among the first countries to finalize a deal. Bessent also emphasized that President Trump would be “intimately involved” in shaping agreements with each of the 15 to 18 key trading partners, pushing for swift resolutions. (Source: IANS)
