Overview

• Marco Rubio called India a relationship of “critical importance” in a State Department readout, highlighting cooperation on trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals and support for a free and open Indo‑Pacific via the Quad.
• S. Jaishankar said the discussion covered bilateral and international issues of current concern and that both sides agreed on the need for sustained engagement to make progress.
• The New York talks were the first face‑to‑face since US tariffs on some Indian goods rose to 50 percent following purchases of Russian oil, with no immediate resolutions announced.
• Parallel trade negotiations resumed, as Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met USTR Jamieson Greer in New York after “positive” Sept. 16 talks in New Delhi, with both sides seeking an early bilateral trade agreement.
• A new US$100,000 fee for new H‑1B visa applicants has unsettled India’s tech sector, with the White House clarifying it is a one‑time petition charge that does not apply to existing holders.