US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has confirmed that 'big items are done' in India-US trade negotiations, stating that 'the big picture, the big framework, the big items are done' during a recent interview. Speaking about the pace of discussions, Gor emphasized that 'within three weeks of arriving here, we announced a trade deal' while noting that the European Union trade deal took almost 20 years to negotiate. The ambassador described the outstanding matters as smaller details and issues that could arise as talks continued, expressing confidence that 'we're at an incredible pace, and I am confident that we will get it done'. These comments come after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed that negotiations are heading towards a 'landing point', with the talks now having been underway for around 18 months.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has confirmed that India-US trade negotiations are heading towards a 'landing point', stating that 'my sense is that this is an issue which is heading towards a landing point.' Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Jaishankar noted that India and the US have been in talks since early 2025 on the proposed trade pact to address tariff friction, eliminate non-tariff barriers, and boost bilateral market access. The minister emphasized that India is seeking better tariffs than its competitors for its goods in the US market, with negotiations involving India's trade minister, the US Trade Representative (USTR) and other officials working to move forward on the bilateral trade pact. These comments come after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the talks on the trade deal have reached a 'plateau' over a week ago, indicating that while progress is being made, some key issues remain unresolved. As reported by PTI, Jaishankar said 'I think we are waiting on a few things. I wouldn't be comfortable spilling the beans in public.' He added that 'when countries negotiate with an economy like the United States, obviously one part of it is what you work out between yourselves and the US, and one part of it is how do you fare vis-a-vis competitive economies.' The outcome would also depend on the terms other countries secured in their negotiations with Washington, as 'not everybody has worked out a deal' and 'that part of it is not entirely clear.'
US Ambassador Sergio Gor addressed concerns about America's 100% tariff for Russian gas and oil buyers, stating that US President Donald Trump is expected to take a decision within the next 10 days regarding sanctions on countries involved in buying Russian oil and gas. According to The Times of India, Gor explained that the legislation received 86 votes in the 100-member US Senate, giving the President authority to impose sanctions on countries involved in buying Russian oil and gas or helping others evade sanctions. However, he maintained that the measures were not designed to target India or any other individual country, noting that 'these sanctions options that Congress passed, they are not targeted at any individual country. It is three different buckets; one is oil, the second is gas, the third is sanctions evasion.' Gor added that 'it just happens that India does fall in one of those buckets, along with a lot of other countries' and emphasized that 'the goal is not to punish anyone. The goal is to try to bring an end to this war.' The law requires Trump to make a determination within 30 days of its passage, with Gor noting that no country had yet been sanctioned under the legislation and that any decision on exemptions or relief for India would be up to the President.
Jaishankar noted that the US is today determined to reindustrialise and to reset the terms of access to its economy, explaining that 'the US has a fundamentally different approach to the use of tariffs.' He emphasized that 'that's what the whole tariff debate is about. And the two are connected: access to the American economy and the re-industrialisation of America.' The minister stressed that India's trade negotiations with the US would also have to be assessed against the terms Washington offers competing economies, though the picture remains uncertain as several countries are yet to finalise their trade arrangements with the US. Beyond trade, Jaishankar said countries around the world would have to reassess their relationships with the US as Washington changes the way it engages with other nations, explaining that 'every country, in a way, has to recalculate and reset its relationship with the United States.' He said the two countries had spent more than two decades identifying areas of convergence and shared interests, noting that 'for the last 20-odd years, we have worked out what we felt were convergences, overlaps, shared common interests with the US, and we had agreed that we would pursue that.' This strategic approach reflects India's broader framework of 'engage America, manage China, cultivate Europe, and reassure Russia' developed in 2020.
Jaishankar also expressed hope that the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would take effect soon, according to Bloomberg reports. The comments suggest India's broader strategy to diversify its trade partnerships and reduce dependence on any single trading bloc. The timing of these remarks comes as India continues to navigate complex trade relationships with multiple global partners while seeking to balance economic opportunities with strategic considerations.
Ambassador Gor highlighted significant opportunities for American businesses in India, citing defence manufacturing, IT, data centres and chip manufacturing as sectors where companies from both countries are already working together. According to The Times of India, Gor noted that 'you have an unmatched market here for our companies' and pointed to co-production happening in India's defence sector. He emphasized that 'Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Micron; every one of them is opening data centres and chip manufacturing here that work with our companies hand in hand in the United States' and explained that 'when a job is created in India, a counter job is created in the United States.' The ambassador described this as 'an incredible win-win situation that I would say is unmatched' and added that 'the private sector to be able to come to India to compete, to have their foot in the door, you have a very pragmatic prime minister here that welcomes outside investment'. Gor noted that 'pick any sector, and we're working together at it' and reiterated his confidence in the trade negotiations, stating that 'the two countries were actively engaged across sectors'.
