External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will meet United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York today, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, officials familiar with the development said.
The high-level talks are being seen as an effort to advance the recent improvement in India–US ties, which had come under strain earlier this year. According to people aware of the matter, the meeting will build on ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation and address divides that surfaced in recent months.
Jaishankar and Rubio last met in Washington in early July, and previously in January. However, this will be the first in-person meeting since tensions emerged between the two countries over trade tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Trump said the 50 per cent tariffs on India, including an additional 25 per cent duty, were due to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil.
Diplomatic engagement since then has helped ease frictions, with both sides resuming stalled trade talks. Trump recently expressed confidence that the negotiations would see “no difficulty” in reaching a settlement.
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The meeting also coincides with ongoing trade discussions led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who is heading a delegation in talks with American counterparts in New York.
“The delegation plans to take forward the discussions with a view to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement,” the commerce ministry said in a statement.
Concerns over Washington’s immigration policies are also expected to feature in the discussions. The Trump administration’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications sparked unease among technology firms and professionals, particularly from India.
The White House later clarified that the levy is a one-time fee, applicable only to fresh petitions, and would not affect existing visa holders.
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