Overview
- Hooker arrived for a five‑day trip running December 7–11 with stops in New Delhi and Bengaluru for Foreign Office Consultations and sector meetings.
- She will meet Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on regional security and Indo‑Pacific priorities, then visit ISRO and engage space, energy and technology leaders to deepen AI and space collaboration.
- Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Rick Switzer is leading a parallel delegation for talks on the first phase of a bilateral trade pact, according to multiple reports.
- The outreach comes with tensions over a U.S. 50% tariff on Indian goods, including a 25% surcharge linked to India’s purchases of Russian crude, which both sides are working to address.
- Despite friction, cooperation continues with a one‑year LPG import agreement and a $946 million sustainment package for India’s MH‑60R helicopters, and the visit follows President Vladimir Putin’s recent trip to India.