External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar said a concluded trade agreement could help improve India-US relations.
External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar said a trade agreement between India and the US could contribute to better bilateral ties if it is concluded. Speaking at an Asia Society event in New York on Monday, September 28, 2026, he acknowledged that negotiations had taken longer than expected because of their complexity. He said there was now “more or less an understanding” on the agreement.
Jaishankar was addressing members of the Indian-American and diaspora community and policy experts in a conversation moderated by former US diplomat Daniel Russel. He said India’s economic structure, with its large number of small producers, agricultural producers and factories, differed significantly from that of the US. He added that expectations of rapid progress had been “tested” by the detail and patience the talks required.
India and the US announced in February that they had finalised a framework for the first phase of the agreement. Later changes to the US tariff regime led to further negotiations. Referring to the ongoing Section 301 process in the US, Jaishankar said the key question was when to conclude an agreement that was already “very, very far advanced”. He said the length of the negotiations had created “bumps” in the relationship last year, and that closing the agreement could put ties on a better footing.
Jaishankar also said developments within the US had influenced bilateral ties, particularly on mobility. He said the economics and the politics of mobility were now at odds with each other. He noted that diplomacy was increasingly shaped by public opinion in the social media era, especially in democratic societies. He said India hoped and expected the relationship to move on an upward trajectory but had to be realistic about the issues involved.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on September 24 that the trade pact was “done and dusted” and would be executed once Washington gave India the right competitive advantage over rival exporters in the US market. Goyal is scheduled to visit the US from September 29 to October 5 to attend the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee. He will also hold talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on advancing the bilateral trade agreement.
Source: The New Indian Express
