India, U.S. decide to hold sector-specific talks for proposed trade pact in coming weeks

India and the U.S. to hold sector-specific talks to finalize bilateral trade agreement structure in coming weeks.

India and the U.S. have decided to hold sector-specific talks in the coming weeks to finalise the structure of the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA), the government said on Saturday (March 29, 2025).

The engagement between the two countries came in the backdrop of the USA's threat to impose reciprocal tariffs on its key trading partners, including India, on April 2.

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The decision to hold discussions in the coming weeks follows four days of talks — between senior officers of India and the U.S.— which concluded here on Saturday.

"Sectoral expert-level engagements under the BTA will start virtually in the coming weeks and pave the path for an early negotiating round in person," the ministry said.

In a statement, the Commerce Ministry said to realise the shared objective of promoting growth that ensures fairness, national security and job creation, both sides broadly come to an understanding on the next steps towards a mutually beneficial, multi-sector BTA, with the goal to finalise its first tranche by fall (August-September) 2025.

Through the agreement, the two countries are looking to increase market access for their goods, cut tariff and non-tariff barriers and deepen supply chain integration in a mutually beneficial manner, it added.