New Delhi, May 21 — U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said Indian companies are steadily expanding their business footprints in the United States, and he welcomed the pledge of more than USD 20 billion in investments announced at the recent Select Investment Summit.
Speaking at an AMCHAM India event in New Delhi, Gor described the $20 billion commitment as remarkable and noted that embassies compete globally to attract investment to the United States. He said the U.S. embassy in India, working with partners here, ranked first worldwide in bringing investments to the United States — an achievement he called extraordinary.
The ambassador also highlighted the growing presence of American firms in India as they tap into the country’s expanding consumer and industrial markets. He framed the developments within the administration’s economic approach, saying the U.S. leadership is focused on creating profitable opportunities for U.S. businesses and workers.
Gor added that an interim commercial framework between the two countries is in its final stages and ready for implementation, a step he said would unlock mutual benefits and bolster bilateral trade.
That optimism was echoed by Indian officials. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said an American delegation will travel to India next month for important trade talks, reflecting the timeline Gor outlined. The planned technical meetings follow an in-person session by an Indian team in Washington last April that aimed to finalize details of a short-term agreement and advance negotiations under a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
These negotiations are being conducted alongside intensified diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Washington. When asked whether the U.S. chief negotiator for the BTA would accompany U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his upcoming India trip, Goyal said the negotiator would not travel with Rubio but that plans call for his visit next month.
Rubio is expected to begin a four-day official visit to India on May 23, his first to the country, with an agenda focused on deepening cooperation on trade, defence and energy.
The urgency of the talks traces back to a joint India–U.S. statement issued on February 7 that set out the framework for an interim trade arrangement. The process shifted after a U.S. Supreme Court decision removed reciprocal tariffs that had been a key negotiating lever for the administration. In response, Washington moved quickly to adjust its trade policy: on February 24 it applied a 10 percent supplementary duty on all imports under Section 122 of the Trade Act for a 150-day period, and launched investigations under Section 301 into large exporters, including India, to examine excess capacity and labour practices.
Section 122 allows emergency tariffs of up to 15 percent for a limited 150-day period, while Section 301 provides broader authority for the United States to impose duties if a partner’s policies are found to harm American commercial interests.
Those regulatory and tariff issues are central to the upcoming delegation visits. New Delhi has formally submitted comprehensive responses to both federal probes, and consultations between the two governments are continuing with the aim of clearing outstanding issues and concluding a final agreement.
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