India-US trade negotiations are progressing in a positive direction and a comprehensive agreement could provide significant benefits to businesses and trade in both countries, Anup Acharya, National President of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC), said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the IACC National Convention 2026, Acharya said both the Indian and US governments had maintained a positive approach towards the proposed trade agreement from the outset. He noted that the negotiations had taken time primarily because of the wide range of issues being discussed between the two sides.
“The definitive thing is that it is going to be comprehensive. It took a bit of time because a lot of things have been taken up, and both the governments are positive from day one, and it's going to be very, very positive for the business trade from both ends,” Acharya said.
His remarks come after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor earlier said that 99 per cent of the India-US trade deal had been completed, with only the remaining one per cent to be resolved.
Asked about Gor's assessment, Acharya said the negotiations were moving in the right direction and pointed to the positive statements made by both the US Ambassador and Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
“I think that both the diplomat, Ambassador Gor, and our Minister, Piyush Goyalji, have rightly mentioned that in a positive direction. As I said, it's not that easy to get everything, but when there's 99 per cent done, it is progressive,” he said.
Acharya stressed that reaching the final agreement would require extensive negotiations, with both sides seeking to ensure that the outcome serves the interests of businesses and promotes trade between the two countries.
“When the bilateral deal is concerned, we need to understand that it is going to be sealed after tremendous negotiations. We do those negotiations for the benefit of both the country's business and trade. We trust our leaders and both the leaders from the US side and the India side,” he said.
He also underlined the broader strategic relationship between India and the United States, saying strong bilateral ties could provide a foundation for a mutually beneficial trade arrangement.
“We need to understand that there is a good relationship that we are having between us. So definitely the deal will be a benefit for both the nations,” Acharya said.
US Ambassador Sergio Gor also addressed the IACC National Convention 2026, where he placed India-US trade, investment and economic cooperation at the centre of discussions. He called for predictable taxation, stable regulatory frameworks, stronger intellectual property protection and greater trust-based engagement on export controls and technology flows to strengthen commercial ties.
Gor also highlighted the substantial expansion in bilateral trade in goods and services over the past two decades. According to him, India-US trade has grown from around USD 20 billion to more than USD 240 billion during this period, reflecting the deepening economic relationship between the two countries.
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Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Gor on the sidelines of the convention and discussed potential areas of cooperation between India and the US.
Fadnavis said the discussions focused particularly on sectors where the US has significant expertise, including technology, education, universities, data centres and semiconductors.
“We discussed potential areas for collaboration within our strategic alliance--specifically sectors where America excels, such as technology, education, universities, data centres, and semiconductors,” Fadnavis said.
He added that the discussions also explored ways to channel investments in these sectors into India, with a particular focus on Maharashtra. The developments at the convention underline the growing importance of trade, investment and technology cooperation in the India-US relationship, even as negotiators work towards finalising a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement.
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