Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal urges exporters to leverage new FTAs with developed nations as India finalises trade deals with the US and EU
Update softens language on India's $500 bn purchases plan, bringing it in line with joint statement issued by both countries
The US has revised its interim trade deal fact sheet with India, removing pulses from tariff talks and softening language on India's $500 billion purchase plans, even as negotiations continue
Under a WTO moratorium, countries do not levy Customs duties on cross-border e-commerce transactions such as the download of software, e-books and similar products
During 2024, India's agricultural exports to the US stood at $3.4 billion - excluding marine products, while imports were $2.1 billion
Bangladesh's key export-earning ready-made garments made from cotton and synthetic fibres imported from the US will enjoy zero reciprocal duty under a new trade deal
BJP chief Nitin Nabin on Sunday said that the Modi government "diplomatically and patiently" made the trade deal with the US, ensuring the interests of the farmers and workers remain protected. Nabin said this at Ramleela Maidan while flagging off 500 e-buses along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her Cabinet ministers. The Modi government "diplomatically and patiently" made a trade deal with the US, said the BJP president. "I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this deal. He has protected the interests of the farmers, workers and enhanced the self-respect of the country," Nabin said. He also congratulated the Delhi chief minister, saying the 500 e-buses were a gift for the Delhi people who on February 8 last year handed over a massive victory to the BJP in Assembly polls. The BJP defeated AAP in the Assembly polls, winning 48 of the 70 Assembly seats, in the results announced on February 8, 2025. The BJP government in Delhi has in last one year worked with zero toler
After three consecutive months of heavy selling, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) turned net buyers in the first week of February, infusing more than Rs 8,100 crore in Indian equities, aided by improving risk sentiment, along with a trade deal with the US. The inflows follow sustained withdrawals in recent months, with FPIs pulling out Rs 35,962 crore in January, Rs 22,611 crore in December, and Rs 3,765 crore in November, data with the depositories showed. Overall, in 2025, FPIs pulled out a net Rs 1.66 lakh crore (USD 18.9 billion) from Indian equities, marking one of the worst periods for foreign flows. The selling was driven by volatile currency movements, global trade tensions, concerns over potential US tariffs and stretched equity valuations. According to the data, FPIs invested Rs 8,129 crore in this month (till February 6). Himanshu Srivastava, principal manager- research at Morningstar Investment Research India, said the recent buying reflects improving risk appetite a
The US has said it is "very excited" to have extended an invitation to India to join the Pax Silica initiative on supply chain security and will be soon signing with the Indian Government, underlining there is "very positive momentum" in relations with New Delhi. Highlighting the "great relationship" between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Washington also stressed that India is probably the only other country on Earth to be able to "rival China" in terms of the sheer volume of its human talent. "We are very excited to have extended an invitation for India to join" Pax Silica, and "I'll be travelling to India in just a couple weeks for a major signing with the Indian Government," Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg told reporters on Friday. The US had last year in December launched 'Pax Silica', a strategic initiative to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation driven silicon supply chain-from critical minerals and energy inputs to .
India has agreed to provide import duty concessions to certain US agricultural products such as dried distillers' grains (DDGs), red sorghum and apples for animal feed. According to a joint statement, India and the US have agreed on a framework for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement, which is expected to be signed by mid-March. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters that India will provide quota-based tariff concessions on US agricultural products such as DDGs, soybean oil, apples, long staple cotton and soybean oil. "We have opened our markets for the US in a calibrated manner on some products like Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS), wines and spirits in which we have kept a minimum import price also," Goyal said. When asked if DDG's have GM (genetically modified) soymeal, the minister assured that the environment ministry has prescribed processes on allowing the import of GM materials in India, which will be followed. According to the US Grains an
The trade framework opens opportunities for Indian exporters, safeguards sensitive sectors, and sets the stage for broader cooperation in technology, digital trade, and supply chains
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that the framework is expected to create jobs and MSME exports while keeping staple crops and dairy outside tariff concessions
The interim framework outlines tariff cuts, market access and technology cooperation while protecting sensitive Indian sectors, paving the way for a broader India US trade agreement
The step is part of a wider agreement to ease trade tensions, under which India plans to buy about $500 billion worth of US goods, including energy, aircraft and technology, over the next five years
India and the US have discussed ways to strengthen collaboration in "critical and emerging defence technologies" to meet the evolving requirements at a key meeting hosted here, officials said on Thursday. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) hosted the 24th Indo-US Joint Technical Group Plenary Meeting in New Delhi on February 3 and 4, they said. The meeting was co-chaired by Director General (Production Coordination and Services Interaction), DRDO, Chandrika Kaushik, and Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, Michael Francis Dodd, the defence ministry here said. The plenary was conducted in line with the vision and policy guidance of the framework for India-US Major Defence Partnership signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in October 2025, officials said. "The delegations reviewed the ongoing cooperation in defence science and technology
India and the United States are set to sign the first tranche of a formal trade agreement by mid-March, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, following a joint statement expected shortly
India and the US are expected to finalise and sign a joint statement on the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement in 4-5 days, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. After the joint statement is signed, the US will come out with an executive order on reducing tariffs on India to 18 per cent. At present, Indian goods attract a 25 per cent reciprocal tariff and a 25 per cent additional tariff for buying Russian crude oil. Goyal told reporters that a legal agreement for the first tranche of the pact is expected to be signed by mid-March. The joint statement will be followed by an exhaustive legal agreement, he said. Goyal also said that there is no investment commitment in this pact. Once the statement is signed, it will be converted into a legal agreement and mid-March, "We are hopeful of signing that legal agreement," Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said. The signing of the legal text will lead to a cut in tariffs by India on certain US goods.
India's ambition to maintain high economic growth is closely linked to long-term energy security, Consul General D C Manjunath said, underlining the importance of dialogue and cooperation with the US industry to ensure reliable and affordable energy supplies, while advancing cleaner technologies and innovation. The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Houston on February 4 convened a high-level USIndia Energy Roundtable on the Global Energy Outlook 2026 at its office here, in partnership with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). The closed-door meeting brought together over 30 senior executives from global energy, engineering, and technology firms, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Honeywell, GAIL, Larsen & Toubro, Weatherford, LanzaTech, S&P Global, McKinsey, and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. The Consulate General of India said the roundtable was part of its ongoing effort to provide a platform for dialogue between policymakers and industry leaders on shared ..
India's national security adviser told US officials New Delhi would wait out Trump's term, even as it quietly worked to ease tensions and restart trade talks after months of tariffs and public insults
EAM S Jaishankar meets top US leaders in Washington as India and the US welcome a new trade deal and push cooperation on critical minerals, energy and supply chains