WebinarsNew
Deep DiveNew
Explore Business Standard
Indo-US Relationship
The US House of Representatives voted to advance a bill that would authorise President Donald Trump to impose 100 per cent tariffs on India and other countries for buying oil and gas from Russia and extend existing sanctions on Iran. The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 cleared a procedural hurdle in the House of Representatives on Tuesday evening after two Democratic lawmakers broke ranks with the party and voted in favour with the Republicans. The resolution to advance the Russia sanctions bill and a slew of other legislations was approved by a 214-211 vote, shocking the House Democratic leadership. The bill is expected to come up for a final vote in the House on Wednesday. Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Monday opposed the Russia sanctions bill contending that it would grant President Trump unchecked authority to impose tariffs without any guardrails. Last month, the US Senate passed the
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday said that the United States and India were moving beyond cooperation in the space sector towards "co-creation", with the two countries jointly designing instruments, funding startups and co-authoring the future of human discovery. He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the ninth edition of the Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX), being organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with ISRO, IN-SPACe and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), from September 7 to 9 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). Referring to the ninth US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group recently held in Bengaluru, the US Ambassador said that those discussions affirmed that our partnership is no longer just about cooperation; it is about co-creation. "We are no longer just sharing data; we are co-designing instruments, co-funding startups, and co-authoring the future of human discovery," he said. Reflecting on the US-India ...
India has sealed a deal with the US to procure Javelin anti-tank guided missile systems to bolster the Indian Army's combat prowess. US Ambassador Sergio Gor said the agreement reflects a bilateral defence partnership that is growing "deeper, more capable, and more consequential." It is not immediately known the number of Javelin anti-tank guided missile systems India is procuring or the overall cost of the procurement. The United States welcomes the Indian Army's signing of a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the purchase of the Javelin anti-tank guided missile system through the US Foreign Military Sales process, an American readout said. It said the "milestone" reflects the enduring partnership between the US and Indian armed forces and opens the door for future collaboration between the US and Indian defence industries. "The Javelin agreement demonstrates the depth of US support for the Indian Army and creates new opportunities for our defence industries to work togethe
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and US Consul General Laura Williams convened a roundtable of top Indian industry leaders here to accelerate bilateral trade, secure high-tech supply chains, and expand US-India commercial ties. The dinner (event) on Monday, commemorating the 250th anniversary of US independence, brought together top executives across defence manufacturing, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and technology to convert strategic bilateral policy into real-world business investments across South India, a release from the US Consulate General, Hyderabad said. Ambassador Gor said the United States and India have been strategic allies for a long time. "Gatherings like this exemplify how far the US-India partnership has moved beyond mere strategic alignment. It is a concrete architecture of cooperation spanning defense, technology, life sciences, and space. That architecture is built on the foundation of longstanding business-to-business partnerships between our two countrie
Discussions on public appearances of leaders are standard protocol, government sources said on Monday following remarks by US envoy Sergio Gor that New Delhi told the American side before a meeting between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in France that it would not prefer a press interaction. Modi and Trump held talks in France's Evian-les-Bains on June 17 on the margins of the G7 summit. Gor, speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had conveyed to the US side that it would prefer no media interaction by the leaders after the meeting. The US envoy suggested that Trump had forgotten the request and ended up taking many questions as the media interaction lasted for almost 45 minutes after the meeting with Modi. The sources said it was normal to have discussions on arrangements before public appearances of leaders. "Discussions regarding arrangements for public appearances of leaders are normal practice a
US Ambassador Sergio Gor on Tuesday said India and the US must address friction points as true partners and work on predictable taxation and regulatory frameworks to allow business to thrive. Speaking at the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce here, Gor stressed the need for candid, trust-based engagements on export controls and rock-solid intellectual property protections to give innovators confidence to invest, create and scale without fear. The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) held its national convention, themed "Redefining the IndiaUS Comprehensive Strategic Partnership." Gor said that the US embassy in India topped the list among US embassies worldwide in attracting over USD 20 billion in investment. When Indian companies invest in America, it is a win-win situation. They get access to one of the world's most dynamic markets, he said. "This relationship has unbelievable and incredible potential. To unleash the full power of the economic engine, we must address friction
The US and India are expanding defence and civil nuclear cooperation, including the adoption of trusted AI and other emerging technologies powering the economy, US Assistant Secretary of State S Paul Kapur said. Kapur made these remarks at a roundtable on India at the Hoover Institution, which saw the participation of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former US Ambassador to India David C Mulford. "Under this (Trump) Administration, US engagement with India is creating jobs at home and strengthening supply chains that are critical to both the United States and the region," Kapur said in a post on X on Monday. "We are expanding defence and civil nuclear cooperation, including the adoption of trusted AI and other emerging technologies powering the economy," the senior US official said. Last year, India and the US signed a framework for a major defence partnership to strengthen interoperability across all domains, including land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace. Since 20
The United States has imposed a 10 per cent tariff on goods imported from India and 16 other countries as part of its efforts to combat the use of forced labour in the production of such items. Last month, when the US had proposed tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act, India was bracketed among countries attracting 12.5 per cent levies, but Washington took note of the amendment New Delhi made to its foreign trade policy prohibiting the import of goods produced using forced labour. "As a result of these actions, the Trade Representative has advised me that the goods of these economies should be tariffed at the 10 per cent rate to further encourage these economies to effectively enforce such prohibitions," US President Donald Trump said in a memorandum on the issue on Thursday. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the new tariffs on 60 countries under Section 301 of the Trade Act on Thursday, a day before the expiration of 10 per cent additional levies on all ...
India's envoy to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, discussed the path to deepen bilateral trade partnership with the leadership and members of the Ways and Means Committee of the American House of Representatives. "Joined a special roundtable discussion on key aspects of the US-India bilateral trade relationship with the leadership and members of the House Ways and Means Committee," Indian Ambassador Kwatra said in a post on X. "We exchanged views and discussed the way forward to further expand and deepen the trade partnership," Kwatra said. The meeting comes against the backdrop of the negotiations between the two countries to finalise an interim bilateral trade agreement. The Committee on Ways and Means is the oldest committee of the United States Congress, and is the chief tax-writing panel in the House of Representatives. Committee Chairman Jason Smith, a Republican from Missouri, and Ranking Member Richard Neal, a democrat from Massachusetts, were among those present at the ...
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is visiting India to take forward the discussions on the interim trade deal agreed to by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump in February. "This week, Ambassador Jamieson Greer will travel to New Delhi, India, to meet with the Minister of Commerce and Industry of India, Piyush Goyal, and other senior Indian officials to discuss the historic US-India joint statement and the interim agreement as part of the broader US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations," the office of the US Trade Representative said in a statement on Sunday. Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of the G-7 meeting in France last week where the US president said that India and the US were very close to finalising the trade agreement. Trump also called Modi a tough negotiator and highlighted the personal rapport he enjoyed with the Indian prime minister. The meeting between Greer and Goyal comes close on the heels of negotiator-level discussions o
The United States is very optimistic about the progress of trade negotiations with India, and a bilateral trade deal remains a priority for the Trump administration, State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. Pigott was responding to a question by PTI during a roundtable interaction organised by the New York Foreign Press Centre with a select group of international journalists on Thursday. "On trade, we have been very optimistic about the progress of trade talks," he said. Noting the recent visit to India by officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Pigott also underscored the role played by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in advancing trade and investment ties between the two countries. "He has also made this trade issue really important", most notably through these trade discussions, but also through bilateral investments between the two countries, including millions of dollars worth of SelectUSA investments, Pigott said. SelectUSA is a .
The US said its strategic partnership with India remains robust and that President Donald Trump's invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Washington is a "testament" to the "great relationship" between the two leaders as well as the growing ties between the two countries. State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott on Thursday said the strong ties between the two countries were on full display during Secretary of State Marco Rubio's recent visit to India. "We have a robust strategic partnership with India... That was on full display during that trip, and there were real deliverables that were discussed there, including on critical minerals, including on technology," he said. Pigott was responding to a question by PTI on Rubio's visit to India during a roundtable interaction organised by the New York Foreign Press Centre with a select group of international journalists. Rubio visited Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi from May 23 to 26 and participated in the Quad Foreig
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday for his four-day diplomatic tour to India, with the city marking the opening leg of a visit that carries considerable political and historical resonance. His arrival in the eastern metropolis ended a 14-year hiatus since an American secretary of state last visited the city, coming only weeks after West Bengal witnessed a landmark political transition with a BJP-led government assuming office. In a post on X, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said, "Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is his first trip to India. Later today, we will call on Prime Minister @narendramodi in New Delhi. Trade, Technology, Defense, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!" Rubio became the first US secretary of state to set foot in Kolkata since Hillary Clinton visited the city in May 2012. Although the US Department of State was yet to publish Rubio's Kolkata itinerary, sources in the US ...
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will undertake a four-day visit to India beginning May 23 to further cooperation in the fields of trade, defence and energy. The Department of State announced the visit that would take Rubio to Kolkata, Agrat, Jaipur and New Delhi. "Secretary Rubio will travel to India from May 23-26, where he will visit Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi," State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. The Secretary will discuss energy, security, trade, and defence cooperation during meetings with senior Indian officials, Pigott said. Rubio will travel to India from Sweden, where he will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on May 22. India is set to host a meeting of Quad foreign ministers next week that is expected to deliberate on pressing global challenges, including the fallout of the West Asia crisis. The New Delhi meeting is planned for May 26, and it is scheduled to be attended by Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign .