Moving to close a trade agreement with India depends largely on Washington, with New Delhi having already presented its offers, senior government officials said on Wednesday, warning that public remarks by members of the US administration must be taken in perspective.
According to officials, substantive details of the negotiations are known to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and negotiating teams, rather than to certain individuals who may make public comments. “What India had to offer has been done. Any statement by other members of the US administration must be seen in this context,” a senior official said, adding that the ball is now in the US court.
Senior officials said talks between India and the United States were ongoing even as negotiations on the India-European Union free trade agreement entered their home stretch, pointing out that New Delhi was pursuing multiple trade routes simultaneously. “Both sides are in talks, and while the conversation with the EU was ongoing, both sides were in touch,” the official said, adding that India remained focused on getting the US trade deal “over the finish line”.
On the free trade agreement between India and the European Union, officials clarified that the timing reflected the maturity of the discussions rather than any reaction to developments on the US front. “It made sense to accelerate a deal with the EU because these negotiations were underway well before the US FTA,” said a top government negotiator.
Dismissing suggestions that progress on the India-EU deal was a knee-jerk response to uncertainty surrounding the US deal, officials stressed that the two tracks were being pursued independently. “The India-EU deal is not a reaction to what may or may not happen with the US deal. Each negotiation has its own trajectory and strategic rationale,” another senior official said.
India and the European Union concluded negotiations on the long-pending free trade agreement on Tuesday, marking a major milestone in India’s commercial diplomacy after years of intermittent engagement. Officials said the agreement included progressive tariff concessions from both sides, greater market access for goods and services, and stronger frameworks for investment and regulatory cooperation.
Under the agreement, India agreed to calibrated tariff reductions on certain industrial products, automobiles and high-end consumer goods over extended transition periods. In return, the EU offered significant tariff reductions for India’s labor-intensive exports, such as textiles, clothing, leather goods and engineering products, sectors seen as key to job creation.
The agreement also includes commitments on services, public procurement, intellectual property, digital trade and sustainable development, while preserving policy space for national priorities.
Officials said negotiations with the EU have gained momentum as global trade conditions have become more volatile. The broader drive to strike deals has been driven by concerns about the growing militarization of trade and the vulnerabilities of global supply chains.
“The decision to act decisively on the EU deal was taken as early as February last year,” a senior official said, emphasizing that supply chain resilience and long-term economic security are now at the heart of India’s trade strategy.
