Copyright indiatimes
AgenciesVinay Mohan Kwatra India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and senior US diplomat Paul Kapur have discussed "common interests" and ways to advance bilateral ties during a meeting at the State Department, their second interaction in a week. The meeting, held on Thursday local time, came on a day when President Donald Trump said he could travel to India next year and noted that talks with New Delhi are "going good". In a social media post, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Kapur thanked Ambassador Kwatra for visiting him at the State Department. "Discussed common interests and ways to advance the US-India partnership. Looking forward to continuing the conversation," he wrote. The meeting comes as New Delhi and Washington remain engaged in discussions on a proposed bilateral trade agreement amid tensions over Russian oil purchases and tariff-related issues.Live Events Earlier on Tuesday, Kwatra and Kapur met at India House. In a social media post on Wednesday, Kapur said, "Thank you @AmbVMKwatra for graciously hosting me at India House last night. Appreciated the opportunity to discuss shared bilateral and regional priorities, including strengthening the US-India relationship."— State_SCA (@State_SCA) Kwatra on Thursday also held discussions with information technology company Cohesity CEO Sanjay Poonen on bilateral cooperation in software security and AI between India and US industries. 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. According to Commerce Ministry data, India's merchandise exports to the US declined by 11.93 per cent to USD 5.46 billion in September due to the high tariffs imposed by Washington, while imports increased by 11.78 per cent to USD 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 USD 131.84 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports). It accounts for about 18 percent of India's total goods exports, 6.22 percent in imports, and 10.73 per cent in the country's total merchandise trade.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onIndia US relationsVinay Mohan KwatraUS India partnershipbilateral trade agreementPaul KapurTrump tariffs IndiaRussia oil purchasessoftware securityCohesitySeptember merchandise exports (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onIndia US relationsVinay Mohan KwatraUS India partnershipbilateral trade agreementPaul KapurTrump tariffs IndiaRussia oil purchasessoftware securityCohesitySeptember merchandise exports(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Prime ExclusivesInvestment IdeasStock Report PlusePaperWealth Edition123View all Stories
