India our trusted partner, trade deal to be sealed in next few weeks: US envoy
Calling India a "trusted partner", US Ambassador Sergio Gor expressed confidence that the proposed India-US trade deal could be finalised within the next few weeks or months.
Expressing confidence that the India-US trade agreement could be finalised within the next few weeks, US Ambassador Sergio Gor on Friday described the relationship between New Delhi and Washington as the “defining partnership” of the 21st century, driven increasingly by technology, strategic trust and economic cooperation.
Speaking at an event in IIT Delhi, Gor said no partnership was better positioned than the relationship between “our trusted partner” India and the US to seize emerging opportunities, particularly in critical and emerging technologies.
“The US trusts India, which is our partner. And we trust your government. There is limitless potential to take forward the US-India relationship,” he said, adding that there was a major opportunity to transform bilateral ties into a more seamless economic partnership.
His remarks come amid ongoing negotiations between the two countries on an interim trade deal. A team from the US will land in India next month to finalise the details of the deal. Both countries are moving closer to finalising the agreement, but the negotiations have faced repeated friction over tariff policies pushed by US President Donald Trump, particularly on market access, import duties and reciprocal trade measures.
Highlighting the recently launched US-India TRUST initiative at the IIT Delhi event, Gor said the framework reflected the depth of trust between the two countries. “This is something that has not extended all across the globe. It’s being shared with trusted partners like India,” he said.
The TRUST (Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology) initiative was announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington last year. It aims to strengthen critical supply chains while boosting collaboration between governments, academia and the private sector in advanced technologies.
Gor indicated that the US was recalibrating its export control policies in a manner that could help deepen cooperation with India in sensitive high-technology sectors.
The growing trust between the two countries, he said, was visible in sectors ranging from artificial intelligence and semiconductors to pharmaceuticals and space cooperation.
The envoy said AI data centres were expected to be built in India with American participation, while investments are flowing both ways between Indian and US companies. “Investors come to us and ask whether it is safe to invest in India. Our answer is yes,” he added.
US ENVOY ON PHARMACEUTICALS, STRATEGIC COOPERATION
On pharmaceuticals, Gor pointed out that the US imports nearly 40 per cent of its pharma supplies from India, which he said reflected the US’s confidence in Indian manufacturing capabilities.
“This is because we trust India,” he said, while noting that Indian companies have announced investments worth USD 20.5 billion in the US, with a significant share coming from the pharmaceutical sector.
He also referred to ongoing discussions within a US pharma task force that is studying supply chain and investment-related issues involving India.
On strategic cooperation, Gor highlighted the growing collaboration between Nasa and Isro, saying Washington works closely only with trusted partners in critical sectors. “When the US leads, we invite trusted partners and India is one of them,” he said.
The ambassador also described India as an important counterbalance to China’s growing dominance in the region and said the bilateral trade relationship had expanded dramatically over the years – from around USD 20 billion to nearly USD 220 billion.
Emphasising the role of educational and research institutions in strengthening ties, Gor said collaborations taking place in laboratories and classrooms at institutions such as IIT Delhi were laying the foundation for the next phase of the relationship.
“We need more research projects, more faculty working together, more graduate students solving problems that matter to both of our countries and accelerating pathways to commercialisation,” he said.
Calling for new avenues of cooperation, Gor also welcomed India’s efforts to frame rules and regulations for greater private sector participation in the civil nuclear sector.
He also described US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent India visit as “substantive”, signalling continued high-level engagement between the two countries across trade, technology and strategic domains.