By Micah Jonah
January 12, 2026
India and the United States will hold another round of discussions on trade on Tuesday, January 13, as both countries continue efforts to repair strained economic ties, according to Washington’s newly appointed ambassador to India, Sergio Gor.
Speaking in New Delhi on Monday as he formally assumed office, Gor said both sides remain actively engaged despite recent setbacks that have disrupted negotiations and unsettled markets.
“Both sides continue to actively engage. The next call on trade will occur tomorrow,” Gor said, adding that cooperation between the two countries extends beyond trade to areas such as security, counterterrorism, energy, technology, education and health.
Trade relations between the two nations deteriorated after talks collapsed last year, prompting the United States to double tariffs on Indian goods to as high as 50 percent. The measures included a 25 percent levy linked to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The dispute has contributed to investor uncertainty, pushed the Indian rupee to a record low.
Gor also announced that India will be invited next month to join Pax Silica, a US led strategic initiative aimed at building a secure silicon supply chain spanning critical minerals, semiconductors and artificial intelligence technologies.
His comments provided some relief to Indian markets, with the benchmark Nifty 50 index rebounding modestly in midday trading.
India’s Trade Minister Piyush Goyal separately confirmed that New Delhi remains in dialogue with Washington in pursuit of a trade agreement.
“The United States and India are bound not just by shared interests, rather by a relationship – anchored at the highest level,” Gor said, stressing that disagreements should not overshadow the broader partnership.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US leaders had earlier agreed to target a trade deal by the fall of 2025 and to more than double bilateral trade to 500 billion dollars by 2030. As part of efforts to narrow a 47 billion dollar goods trade gap, India previously pledged to increase purchases of US energy and defence equipment.
Reuters has reported that both sides were close to finalizing a deal last year, however, a breakdown in communication ultimately derailed the negotiations.
“Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences in the end,” Gor said.
