Page 3 - Indo-us Ties

Rajnath Singh, Hegseth discuss boosting Indo-US defence industry ties

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday spoke to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and appreciated the "unwavering support" the US extended to India in its fight against terrorism. In their phone conversation, Singh and Hegseth discussed a wide range of issues -- from long-term cooperation in the defence sector, including training and military exchanges, to expanding industry collaborations. "Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to further deepen India-US defence partnership and strengthen cooperation in capacity building," Singh said in a social media post. "Conveyed my deep appreciation for the unwavering support extended by the US to India in its fight against terrorism. Looking forward to meet him at an early date," he said. The defence ministry said Singh and Hegseth agreed to further build upon the momentum of the "critical and mutually beneficial" partnership across all its pillars. "The two leaders discussed a wide canvas of issues ranging from

India, US race to finalise trade deal ahead of Trump's tariff deadline

Trade officials from India and the US met in New Delhi for about a week to discuss issues including greater market access, digital trade, customs rules and technical barriers to trade

Indo-US ties under 'test', can't be described as 'transactional': Experts

Strategic experts on Friday discussed the contours of the current India-US relationship, with some saying that it was a moment where the ties are being "tested", while others said one should not get swayed by words like "transactional" being used by many to describe it. The online panel discussion saw participation from members of some of the think-tanks based in Delhi and Washington. The topic was 'Negotiating a Transactional Relationship: India and the US', and the discussion was hosted by Delhi-based Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). Elizabeth Threlkeld, a Senior Fellow and Director of the South Asia Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, emphasised the broader "momentum and continuity in the relationship" between India and the US. The online event was held nearly a month after the cessation of firing and military action between India and Pakistan after a four-day military conflict. While the US has claimed that it played a role in this cessation, India has asserted

India eyes multi-phase trade deal with US, interim pact likely before July

The talks are still ongoing and there's no clarity if the Trump administration has agreed to a three-stage process for a trade deal

India must ensure balanced, reciprocal terms in US trade deal: GTRI

India should take cues from the US-UK trade pact and exercise caution while negotiating an agreement with America to ensure that the deal is reciprocal, balanced, and not driven solely by political considerations, economic think tank GTRI said on Saturday. The limited trade deal announced between the US and UK on May 8 offers clues about the kind of trade arrangements Washington may pursue with other major partners, most notably India, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. A closer look reveals that while the UK has made sweeping tariff concessions to America, the US has offered far less in return, it added. "If the UK-US deal sets the template, India can expect growing US pressure to finalise a mini-deal of its own - focused on tariff cuts and key strategic commitments rather than a full free trade agreement (FTA) that may come much later," the think tank said. It also cautioned that India may be asked to reduce tariffs on a basket of sensitive agricultural products, .

India offers steep tariff cuts to speed up trade pact talks with Trump

India has offered preferential access to nearly 90% of goods imported from the United States, including the reduced tariffs, one of the two officials said

India may offer future-proof trade sweetener to fast-track US deal: Report

India has already made a number of offers and pre-emptive concessions to the US on trade, showing itself more eager than several other big US trading partners

JD Vance faces diplomatic test in India amid trade tensions and tariffs

For Vance, this is an opportunity to soften a global image as Trump's attack dog. It is his first visit to India since taking office

India-US trade deal must address more on non-tariff barriers: SIA CEO

While tariff is important, the bilateral trade agreement between India and the US should focus more on non-tariff barriers, a top official of Semiconductor Industry Association said on Friday. India can have a higher share in the USD 600 billion semiconductor market if it plays the cards right, Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) President and CEO John Neuffer said during a panel discussion at Global Technology Summit organised by Carnegie India. "As we think about our bilateral future and our cooperation within the BTA (bilateral trade agreement), we shouldn't over-index on the tariff piece of it. There's no doubt about it, that's really important, but more emphasis needs to be given to the non-tariff barriers. That's been talked about in Washington quite a bit. There's customs problems, there's siting regulations that need to be streamlined," Neuffer said. India and the US are holding discussions for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) to rationalise import taxes in the ...

Experts call for faster India-US trade talks to unlock market potential

India should accelerate discussions for the proposed bilateral trade agreement with the US as the deal could help secure preferential market access, improve investor protections, and encourage technology partnerships between the two countries, experts said on Monday. They also said that the pact is critical for India to address long-standing non-tariff barriers in sectors like chemicals, telecom equipment, and medical devices, which were explicitly flagged in the US tariff statement. Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) for standards and testing protocols could be a strategic step forward in reducing regulatory friction and improving market access in these sensitive sectors, they added. Even though the new US tariffs might put short-term pressure on India's key export sectors, the broader strategic landscape offers significant long-term advantages, Rudra Kumar Pandey, Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, said. He said that India can leverage its differential tariff exposure,

India looks to offer US tariff cuts on farm imports, eyes trade success

Unlike China, Canada and the EU, India is actively seeking to appease the Trump administration and is open to cutting tariffs on over half of US imports worth $23 billion

India seeks to ease tariffs, woo Trump with early trade deal talks

New Delhi has promised to step up energy purchases from the United States to $25 billion in the near future from $15 billion last year

India, US to focus on mkt access, reducing tariff, non-tariff barriers: MoS

India and the US are planning to negotiate a trade agreement and both countries will focus on increasing market access, reducing import duty and non-tariff barriers, and enhancing supply chain integration, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said that as on date, reciprocal tariffs have not been imposed by the US on India. "Both countries plan to negotiate a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement. Both countries would focus on increasing market access, reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, and enhancing supply chain integration," he said. The US issued Memorandum on Reciprocal Trade and Tariffs on February 13, wherein the Secretary of Commerce and United States Trade Representative are to take necessary actions to investigate harm to America from any non-reciprocal trade arrangements adopted by trading partners and provide a report with detailed proposed remedies fo

India should safeguard national interest while negotiating with US: SJM

India should enhance its foreign trade under bilateral trade agreements rather than multilateral deals and protect its national interest, especially that of the farmers and small entreprenuers, while negotiating with the US, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) said on Monday. The SJM's national council passed a resolution in this regard at its meeting in Chhattisgarh, the RSS affiliate said in a statement. The two-day meeting held in Raipur, which deliberated on a host of issues, including strengthening India's economy amid a changing geopolitical scenario and the Donald Trump administration's policy of reciprocal tariffs, concluded on Monday. "After taking over as US president, Donald Trump has launched a frontal attack on the global free trade system by announcing his intent to impose higher tariffs (on reciprocal basis) on imports from many countries around the world," the resolution said. The move is intended to bring back manufacturing to the US so that the issue of unemployment

Modi US Visit: Will stock markets bounce back after Modi-Trump meeting?

Modi US Visit: Market experts believe the current stock market crash largely prices-in any negative news on Trump's tariffs on India

India in talks with US to buy combat vehicles, seal jet engine deal

Modi is preparing additional tariff cuts ahead of his meeting with Trump that could boost American exports to India and avoid a potential trade war, government officials said

PM Modi's US visit to build on 'Global Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'

During the first Trump administration, the Indo-Pacific region gained significant attention as a key strategic area in US foreign policy

India-US ties need shared values, not only be transactional: Richard Verma

Richard Verma, the highest-ranking Indian-American official in the State Department, has expressed optimism about the future of US-India ties and emphasised the need to base the relationship on shared values rather than mere transactional dealings. Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, said he is not worried about the differences between the US and India as they make the relationship more dynamic. "What I don't want this to become, though, is a transactional relationship where we're just looking to sell things or you're looking to have us buy things, Verma told PTI in an interview on Friday, as he prepares to leave office. "That is not a deep, consequential relationship built on values. I think staying true to those principles is really...important, said Verma, who previously served as America's Ambassador to India, making him the first Indian American in that position. President Joe Biden will cede power to President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, marking .

India-US reaffirm commitment to secure digital connectivity, focus on AI

Discussions held in New Delhi highlighted areas of collaboration, including advancements in 5G and 6G networks, artificial intelligence, cross-border data flows, and promotion of Open RAN

India welcomes US decision to lift curbs on 3 Indian nuclear entities

India on Friday welcomed the US lifting restrictions on three Indian nuclear entities and said the move will open up new avenues for collaboration in the civil-nuclear field. The US on Wednesday removed restrictions on Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Indira Gandhi Atomic Research Centre (IGCAR) and the Indian Rare Earths (IRE). The decision came over a week after NSA Jake Sullivan announced that Washington was finalising steps to "remove" hurdles for civil nuclear partnership between Indian and American firms. "It is a welcome step," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a regular media briefing. "These (BARC, IGCAR and IRE) were in the entity list of the US for several years now. With this action by the US government, it will lead to greater collaboration between India and the US in the field of nuclear energy and also in the field of critical minerals," he said. Jaiswal indicated that efforts will be put in to address issues relating to nuclear ...