Our Bureau
London
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri revealed on Thursday that India has been actively engaged in discussions with the US on a potential Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), emphasising the ongoing contacts with partners in the US.
During a press conference following the signing of the India-UK Free Trade Agreement, Misri stated, “We are discussing that under a different vertical. All I can say is that our engagement is underway. The contacts are underway, and we’ll see how that goes.”
His remarks indicate steady progress in India’s efforts to strengthen economic ties with the US, as the Trump administration has deferred imposing additional tariffs on several countries, including India, until August 1.
Misri also highlighted the broader context of global trade, noting the importance of the India-UK FTA, signed earlier today in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“The focus was on that (India-UK FTA) fair and square. Naturally, the overall environment, globally of world trade was referred to, but on that front, what I would emphasise is that this underlines even more the significance of the India-UK FTA,” he said.
“For an agreement as significant as this to be achieved at this point in time is a really important message to take away from today’s events,” the Foreign Secretary stated.
On July 14, a senior government official stated that India was making concrete progress toward finalising a BTA with the US, with both countries committed to following the path outlined by their respective leaders.
Speaking on the ongoing trade negotiations, the official emphasised that India is “moving in terms of a BTA” and actively “looking at a mutually beneficial deal” that would serve the interests of both nations.
The official highlighted that the current negotiations are proceeding along the framework established by the leadership of both countries, stating, “We are following the path of BTA, which the two leaders have decided.”
When asked about the structure and timeline of the potential agreement, the official indicated that both nations are maintaining flexibility in their approach.
“We are looking at BTA. How it moves forward, whether there will be a first phase, a second phase, or whatever phases will happen, that will be mutually decided,” the official explained.
Rajesh Aggarwal, Chief Negotiator and Special Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, joined the scheduled discussions on July 16.
