By Gazi Abbas Shahid

Copyright india

India-US trade deal: In a major step forward towards an India-US trade deal the a high-level delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a series of key meetings with top US officials and businesses during its recent visit to the United States according to a statement issued Friday.
Who did Indian delegation meet in US?
In the statement the Commerce and Industry Ministry said that Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal held key talks with Ambassador Jamieson Greer United States Trade Representative and Sergio Gor the US Ambassador-designate to India in efforts to form a consensus on an India-US trade deal.
The delegation had constructive meetings with the U.S. Government on various aspects of the deal. Both sides exchanged views on possible contours of the deal and it was decided to continue the engagements with a view to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement the Ministry said.
It said the the Goyal-led delegation also held meetings with businesses and investors which evoked positive as US business leaders reposed confidence in the India growth story and expressed their desire to intensify their business activities in India.
Why India-US trade deal is stalled?
India and the US have been engaged in negotiations over a mutually beneficial trade deal for the last few months amid US President Donald Trump imposing punitive 50% tariffs on Indian goods as punishment for New Delhis purchase of Russian oil.
India has reservations over the US demand for opening up the agricultural and dairy sectors as these are regarded as critical by New Delhi because they provide livelihood to a large section of people. India and the US initiated talks for a just balanced and mutually beneficial Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) in March this year aiming to complete the first stage of the Agreement by October-November 2025.
(With inputs from agencies)