India and the United States are set to open discussions in New Delhi on December 10 to accelerate work on the initial tranche of their proposed bilateral trade agreement, according to officials familiar with the matter. Though not classified as a formal negotiating round, the meetings are expected to address key elements required to move the pact toward conclusion.
The visiting US delegation will be headed by Deputy United States Trade Representative Rick Switzer. This marks the second US visit since Washington imposed a 25 per cent tariff, along with an additional 25 per cent punitive duty, on several Indian exports over India’s purchase of Russian crude.
Frequent diplomatic engagements
The upcoming talks follow sustained engagement between both capitals. US negotiators last visited India on September 16, while Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal travelled to Washington twice this year in May and again on September 22 to advance discussions.
The overall negotiation process is being led by Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch on the US side and Joint Secretary Darpan Jain from India’s Commerce Department.
India hopes to seal framework deal this year
The discussions gain added importance as Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal recently said India is optimistic about finalising a framework trade deal with the US before the end of the year. Such a framework is expected to ease tariff barriers currently affecting Indian exporters.
Agrawal cautioned that a full-fledged Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) will require more time, but noted that India and the US are running two parallel tracks of negotiation one focused on addressing tariffs in the near term, and another aimed at building a comprehensive long-term pact.
Both governments had earlier directed officials to complete the first tranche of the deal by fall 2025. Six negotiation rounds have been held so far. The broader goal is to more than double bilateral trade volume to USD 500 billion by 2030 from the current USD 191 billion.
