US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed India’s “critical” role in America’s future during a key meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New York. The two leaders discussed boosting ties in areas like trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals, according to a State Department readout.
Rubio kicked off his busy day of talks at the UN General Assembly with this session, calling the US-India partnership essential. They also committed to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific region, especially through the Quad alliance that includes the US, India, Australia, and Japan.
This positive vibe comes right after some rocky moments. President Donald Trump recently slapped 50% tariffs on India and fired off tough comments about its economy. But he softened up with a birthday call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking Modi’s 75th. Trump later posted on Truth Social, praising Modi for helping push to end the Russia-Ukraine war and saying he’s doing a “tremendous job.”
Modi fired back on X, thanking Trump and vowing to elevate the India-US Comprehensive Global Partnership to new levels. Jaishankar echoed that spirit in his own X post after the Rubio chat, noting they covered hot-button bilateral and global issues. He highlighted the need for ongoing talks to make progress and said they’d keep in touch.
Before diving into their private discussion—surrounded by flowers and flags—the duo stepped out for a quick media appearance, shaking hands but skipping questions. Later, Jaishankar met Sergio Gor, Trump’s pick for US ambassador to India and special envoy for South and Central Asia. The State Department tweeted that both sides are eager to build on US-India relations, though Gor still needs Senate confirmation.
On the trade front, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal held talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in New York. They’re negotiating the first phase of a potential trade agreement and sound optimistic about sealing an interim deal soon. This follows a recent kickoff meeting in New Delhi between US Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch and India’s Rajesh Agrawal.
Even with tensions over trade barriers and India’s Russian oil buys, the US and India share big strategic goals. The Quad stands out as a prime example, focusing on Indo-Pacific stability. Rubio specifically nodded to that partnership in his remarks, signaling a thaw in relations after Trump’s earlier barbs—like labeling India’s economy “dead.”
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