Overview

• The meeting on the UN General Assembly sidelines in New York was their first face‑to‑face since US duties on Indian goods rose to 50 percent.
• Jaishankar said they agreed on sustained engagement to advance priority areas and to remain in contact.
• A US State Department readout quoted Marco Rubio calling India "of critical importance" and reaffirmed cooperation on a free and open Indo‑Pacific through the Quad.
• Parallel negotiations continued as Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, building on "positive" Sept 16 talks in New Delhi toward an initial trade agreement.
• Key disputes remained unresolved, including stepped tariffs linked to India’s Russian oil purchases and a new $100,000 H‑1B fee for new applicants that the White House clarified does not apply to current visa holders.