US Ambassador Sergio Gor said India and the US have resolved most issues in their bilateral trade negotiations, with both sides now working on finalising the agreement's language.
Gor said the ongoing review of the H-1B visa programme is part of a broader overhaul of the US immigration system and is not specifically directed at India.
The envoy highlighted expanding commercial ties, rising investments by US technology companies in India, increasing Indian investments in the US, and indicated that President Donald Trump remains keen to visit India.
Final Hurdles Remain, H-1B Isn't Targeting India, Says US Ambassador Sergio Gor
India and the US are edging closer to a bilateral trade agreement, with only a handful of issues remaining. US Ambassador Sergio Gor says negotiations are now focused on finalising the text, while also clarifying that recent H-1B visa changes are part of a broader immigration review and not aimed at India
ANI
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India and the United States are moving closer to finalising their long-awaited bilateral trade agreement, with only a few issues left to be resolved, according to US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.
The envoy said negotiations have entered the final stage, with both sides now focused largely on finalising the legal language of the agreement.
Speaking about the progress of the talks, Gor said recent discussions between US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi had been productive.
"I was in those meetings 48 hours ago with Greer in Delhi, and we met with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. It was very productive. There are a handful of issues that remain. A lot of it now is on the language that ultimately both sides will sign," he said.
Expressing optimism about the negotiations, Gor added that both governments were confident of reaching an agreement in the coming weeks or months.
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He noted that while the India-US trade negotiations have been underway for around a year and a half, trade agreements of this scale often take much longer.
As an example, he pointed to the India-European Union trade negotiations, which have continued for nearly two decades without a final agreement.
H-1B Review Not Directed at India
Gor also addressed concerns surrounding the US administration's review of the H-1B visa programme, stressing that the changes are part of a broader overhaul of America's immigration system rather than a measure specifically targeting Indian professionals.
According to the envoy, the US government is reassessing all visa categories after concerns over immigration management under previous administrations.
He added that the Trump administration's focus on curbing illegal immigration aligns with India's own position on preventing illegal migration, emphasising that the review should not be viewed as being directed at any particular country.
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Commercial Partnership Continues to Expand
Highlighting the broader economic relationship, Gor said commercial ties between India and the US continue to strengthen through rising investments and growing business collaboration.
He pointed to major investments announced by American technology companies in India, including Amazon's multi-billion-dollar expansion plans, while noting that companies such as Microsoft and Google continue to deepen their presence in the country.
At the same time, he said Indian businesses are expanding their footprint in the United States, reflecting the increasingly two-way nature of the economic partnership.
According to Gor, cooperation in areas such as information technology, digital infrastructure and data centres demonstrates the growing strategic importance of the bilateral commercial relationship.