India and the United States are set to hold sector-specific talks in the coming few weeks to finalise the bilateral trade agreement. This decision comes amid US President Donald Trump's tariff spree on allies and adversaries.
As per a PTI report, the decision to hold talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement comes after four weeks of talks between Indian and American officials.
"Sectoral expert-level engagements under the BTA will start virtually in the coming weeks and pave the path for an early negotiating round in person,” read an official statement from the ministry.
The commerce ministry further added that both New Delhi and Washington will work towards "ensures fairness, national security and job creation." The first tranche of the proposed deal is expected to be finalised by August-September 2025.
"Both sides look forward to building on this milestone in the coming months to finalise the BTA, ensuring it aligns with the shared goals of prosperity, resilience, and mutual benefit," the statement added further.
The US delegation was led by Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch. The terms of the framework were finalised which aims to double bilateral trade to by over USD 500 billion by 2030.
Amid Trump's tariff spree, the US President has described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "very smart man."
"India is one of the highest tariffing nations in the world. It's brutal, it's brutal. They're very smart. He (Modi) is a very smart man and a great friend of mine. We had very good talks. I think it's going to work out very well between India and our country," said Trump.
(With PTI inputs)
