Overview

• External affairs minister S. Jaishankar met secretary of state Marco Rubio in New York for their first in-person talks since Washington raised duties on Indian goods to about 50 percent.
• Rubio called India a relationship "of critical importance" and highlighted cooperation on trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals, with both sides committing to work together in the Indo-Pacific through the Quad.
• Commerce minister Piyush Goyal met USTR Jamieson Greer as trade teams built on a September 16 round in New Delhi that both governments described as positive, agreeing to intensify negotiations.
• Key sticking points remain the stepped US tariffs, including a 25 percent punitive levy tied to India’s Russian oil purchases, and a new $100,000 H‑1B application fee that the White House says is a one-time charge for new petitions.
• Officials reported no immediate breakthroughs, as both capitals signaled sustained engagement to stabilize ties and pursue an interim agreement in the coming weeks.