The United States and India are capturing global attention this September with a sudden burst of diplomatic momentum, turning the page on months of friction.
After weeks of tariff tit-for-tat and heated rhetoric, both sides have hit “reset,” and the world is watching.
US ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor told the Senate that trade talks between the US and India could start as soon as next week, noting that both sides are “negotiating down to the nitty-gritty of a deal” and “not that far apart” on key issues.
Gor described the India-US partnership as “one of the most important relationships our nation has,” highlighting President Trump’s positive personal dynamic with Prime Minister Modi and reaffirming that pulling India closer to the US and away from China remains a strategic priority.
Thaw is US-India equation
America and India haven’t always been on the same page, with recent disputes over tariffs, particularly after the US doubled them to 50% in protest of India’s continued Russian oil purchases, putting decades of partnership at risk.
Yet, optimism is returning. Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed that the first phase of a comprehensive trade agreement is expected by November 2025, marking real material progress since leaders of both nations pushed negotiators earlier this year.
The scope of the upcoming negotiations is ambitious: officials are targeting outdated tariffs, sensitive technology transfer rules, and tangled supply chain issues affecting everything from pharmaceuticals to semiconductors.
There’s hope the new pact will insulate both economies from further global supply disruptions, inflationary spikes, and energy price swings, all of which have roiled international markets in the past year.
“Both sides are satisfied with the atmosphere,” Goyal said, while US President Trump took to social media to call Prime Minister Modi a “very good friend” and predict “no difficulty” in landing a deal.
India’s strategic importance
Beneath the economic jockeying lies a larger story: India’s rapid elevation in US strategic thinking.
In a Senate hearing, Secretary Marco Rubio declared India “among America’s top relationships for shaping the world’s future,” citing New Delhi’s centrality to the US-led Indo-Pacific vision and its role in balancing China’s rise.
This upgrade is rooted in several factors. First, China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific has catalyzed closer defense cooperation between the US and India, including joint exercises and high-tech arms deals.
Second, there’s shared concern about resilient, “friendly” supply chains for technology, energy, and health goods.
Third, the two nations are increasingly synchronizing on issues of global governance, from anti-terrorism efforts to climate action.
Senator Rubio summed up the new mood: “The story of the 21st century will be written in the Indo-Pacific… India is at the core of that.”
The bipartisan appetite in Washington to keep India anchored to the American sphere is growing, even as New Delhi maintains ties with Russia and sits in forums like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
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