India-US trade deal nears finish line, says envoy Sergio Gor

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced that the interim bilateral trade agreement is nearing the 'finish line,' highlighting India's ascending global stature and the US's desire to work 'hand-in-hand' with New Delhi on a long-term partnership.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday (local time) highlighted the imminent economic and strategic breakthrough between India and the US while explicitly recognising New Delhi's ascending global stature, as the negotiations in the interim bilateral trade agreement near the "finish line."

Speaking during the IX USISPF Leadership Summit 2026, Gor affirmed that the US wants to work "hand-in-hand" with India and expressed optimism over a strengthened partnership between the two nations. "We're this close to getting another big deal done with India, and we're looking forward to bringing that across the finish line. The United States wants to work hand-in-hand with India. India's rise is here, India has arrived, we recognize that, we want to partner with India," he said.

Enduring Foundational Ties

Underscoring the enduring, foundational ties between the world's "oldest and largest democracies", the US envoy delivered an optimistic assessment of the bilateral relationship, emphasising that the bond between the two nations is built to withstand the test of time. Reflecting on his recent diplomatic visit to New Delhi regarding the deal, Gor recounted a poignant exchange with an Indian minister that underscored the deep, half-century resilience of the alliance. "I was with a minister in New Delhi a couple weeks ago and he said to me, he said, 'No matter what you hear in the news, 50 years from now, our two countries will still be friends. You're the world's oldest democracy, we're the world's largest democracy.' And the second part that he added to that is, 'We have the same principles when it comes to democracy, which include robust oppositions, by the way.' Not every nation has that. The United States and India have so much in common that is something that will sustain us for decades to come," he said.

A Partnership for Decades

Gor specifically pointed to a vast pool of opportunities for partnership between India and the US, stating that the two nations hope to explore them. Highlighting the significance of the next two years in their bilateral relationship, Gor said that it will set the path for a partnership for several decades, calling it a "long-term project." "We do see the opportunity that exists between our two nations and as I mentioned, you pick the sector--AI, technology, aviation--no matter what it is, we have a potential to work together. And that's something I hope to build upon and-and set the stage for the next few decades. These next two years will set the relationship on a path for several decades ahead. And so for everyone here who participates in this, think of this as a long-term project. This is not a one-year or two-year, but what we sow now will continue to sustain us decades ahead," he said.

High-Level Trade Discussions

This comes after Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal concluded a high-level series of meetings with US Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer last week in New Delhi to further solidify the robust economic ties between the world's two largest democracies. The discussions centred on accelerating the momentum of ongoing bilateral trade negotiations and identifying new strategic avenues to deepen the India-US economic partnership.

The morning session focused on a comprehensive review of the current trade roadmap. Both delegations engaged in what Minister Goyal described as "constructive and forward-looking" deliberations aimed at resolving outstanding trade issues and streamlining market access.

In a post on X, Goyal said, "Concluded a series of meetings with @USTradeRep Ambassador Jamieson Greer and his delegation this morning. We reviewed progress of the ongoing India-U.S. trade discussions and explored avenues to further deepen our economic partnership. I appreciate Ambassador Greer's leadership and the sustained efforts of both teams in advancing our discussions in a constructive and forward-looking manner."

Recognising the growing significance of the India-U.S. economic partnership amid evolving global trade dynamics, both sides reiterated their shared goal of expanding bilateral trade, fostering innovation, and building resilient, trusted supply chains," as per a statement by the Ministry of Commerce (ANI)

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