The 2025 Quad Summit, which India is set to host, appears to be moving forward as planned, with sources in Washington reporting to India Today TV that the initial trade delegation meeting between India and the United States is “going well.” If these negotiations continue positively, the four-nation summit—featuring India, the US, Japan, and Australia—could be held before the end of the year, with President Donald Trump expected to attend.
The developments come after a period of diplomatic uncertainty caused by tensions over trade policies and India’s Russian oil imports. Despite these challenges, the first meeting in New York between India’s trade officials and their US counterparts has shown signs of progress, reviving hopes for a breakthrough.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, along with lead negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to resume long-pending discussions on a bilateral trade agreement. A source familiar with the talks described the early indications as encouraging, noting that both sides are “committed to moving past irritants” that have stalled negotiations for months.
This meeting follows prior discussions in New Delhi between US official Brendan Lynch and India’s chief trade negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, where both parties pledged to accelerate the negotiation process. Key topics included resolving tariffs, trade barriers, and regulatory concerns, with officials expressing optimism about concluding an interim agreement in the near term.
Tensions had escalated earlier when Washington imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian crude imports from Russia, bringing total duties on some Indian exports to 50%. This led to the postponement of the sixth round of negotiations originally scheduled for August 25. The visit by a USTR team to New Delhi on September 16 helped pave the way for the current discussions.
If the talks remain constructive, the Quad Summit could take place later this year. A US official confirmed that the State Department has begun preparations for a potential Trump visit to India. While trade issues, including tariffs and recent H-1B visa fee increases, remain contentious, Washington is signaling a willingness to find common ground.
On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reinforcing the broader strategic alignment underpinning the trade talks and underscoring India’s role in shaping regional cooperation through the Quad framework.
