India’s Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra met US Undersecretary Jacob Helberg to push forward talks on a mutually beneficial trade deal, strategic trade dialogue and technology cooperation. The meeting comes as India protests steep US tariffs on goods and Russian oil imports
Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra with US Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg. PIC COURTESY/X/@AmbVMKwatra
India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra met US Undersecretary of State Jacob S Helberg here and discussed a mutually beneficial trade deal and technology cooperation. “Had a wide-ranging conversation on our bilateral economic engagement agenda, including a mutually beneficial trade deal, strategic trade dialogue, and technology cooperation including AI,” Kwatra posted on social media.
Helberg was previously an advisor to the Council of Economic Advisors at the White House. He is one of the senior US officials Kwatra has met in a series of meetings he has held with US lawmakers in last few months. Ties between New Delhi and Washington have come under severe strain after Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, including an additional 25 per cent levies for its procurement of Russian crude oil.
India has called the US action “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”, maintaining that its energy decisions are driven by affordability and national interest. An Indian official had said recently that the first phase of the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement (BTA) is “nearing closure” and would address the hefty tariffs imposed on Indian goods, in addition to resolving America’s market access issues.
According to Commerce Ministry data, India’s merchandise exports to the US declined by 11.93 per cent to $5.46 billion in September due to the high tariffs imposed by Washington, while imports increased by 11.78 per cent to $3.98 billion during the month. The US remained India’s largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, with bilateral trade valued at $131.84 billion ($86.5 billion exports). It accounts for about 18 per cent of India’s total goods exports, 6.22 per cent in imports, and 10.73 per cent in the country’s total merchandise trade.
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