Overview

• External affairs minister S. Jaishankar and secretary of state Marco Rubio held their first face-to-face talks since Washington raised tariffs and H‑1B fees, agreeing to keep channels active on priority issues.
• An official US readout called India a relationship of "critical importance" and cited cooperation across trade, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals, including work through the Quad.
• US duties on some Indian goods remain as high as 50% after an added 25% levy tied to India’s Russian oil purchases, and neither side announced any rollback.
• The White House’s $100,000 H‑1B charge stands for new petitions only, with officials clarifying it is a one-time fee and does not apply to current visa holders re-entering the US.
• Trade negotiations are ongoing, with commerce minister Piyush Goyal meeting USTR Jamieson Greer and both governments pointing to "positive" talks since a September 16 USTR visit, though no breakthroughs were announced.