India Pushes for Fast-Track Trade Deals with US, EU: Jaishankar
New Delhi: (PTI) – External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized India’s readiness to swiftly advance trade negotiations with the United States and the European Union, highlighting a “very high” level of urgency from New Delhi’s side.
Speaking at the Global Technology Summit, Jaishankar noted that the Trump administration was prompt in responding to trade proposals from India. He remarked that the U.S., under President Donald Trump, had shifted its approach to global engagement, significantly impacting sectors such as technology.
His comments come amid concerns triggered by Trump’s tariff policies, which have caused major disruptions in global trade and raised fears of a potential recession. Earlier this week, Trump announced a 90-day pause on broad-based tariffs, excluding China.
While refraining from disclosing specific details about the ongoing negotiations, Jaishankar expressed optimism about finalizing a bilateral trade deal with the U.S. soon. “Within a month of the administration change, we conceptually agreed on pursuing a bilateral trade agreement that works for both sides. It’s not an open-ended process,” he stated.
Reflecting on previous talks, he mentioned that despite four years of discussions during Trump’s first term, the deal remained incomplete due to differences in perspectives.
On India-EU trade talks, Jaishankar addressed the prolonged timeline of the discussions, noting that while negotiations have spanned over two decades, large gaps in communication existed. “This time, we are approaching it with a strong sense of urgency. Our trade teams are highly motivated and know exactly what they want to achieve,” he said.
He added that Indian negotiators are now pushing their counterparts to accelerate the process—a reversal from past perceptions that India was the one causing delays. “We’re actively communicating this urgency to the US, EU, and the UK,” he said.
Jaishankar concluded that while the U.S. has so far responded swiftly to India’s proposals, the real pace of progress will be clearer in the coming weeks following the April 2 timeline.