US envoy: India-US ties set to define global stage, trade deal 'on its way'
The United States Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, said on Tuesday that the India-US relationship is anchored in mutual trust and friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, and that a bilateral trade agreement currently under discussion is "on its way".
Speaking at The ET World Leaders Forum in New Delhi, Gor highlighted the growth in bilateral trade, saying, "The numbers don't lie. If you look at the trajectory of our relationship, just go by the numbers. And so, 15 years ago, our bilateral trade was $20 billion. Today, it's $240 billion. And it's continuing to grow. The two leaders set an ambitious goal of $500 billion in the next few years."
On the proposed trade deal, the ambassador said that most of the agreement is in principle complete, but legal language remains to be finalised. "In fact, within a month of me getting here, at one point, we announced that we had a deal. Supreme Court struck down a big part of what the deal was based on... so right now, we're reconfiguring some of that text. But the trade deal is, in principle, almost everything is done. A lot of it is the legal technical language that needs to be sorted out. So, I'm optimistic we'll get done," Gor said.
The rapid growth in bilateral trade has been driven by increasing energy imports, defence purchases and technology partnerships. The US has also become a major market for Indian goods and services, with both countries benefiting from greater economic integration. The $500 billion target, if achieved, would more than double the current trade volume, requiring significant expansion in sectors such as technology, defence manufacturing and clean energy.
Gor described the relationship as a natural partnership that is likely to define the global stage. "We have two of the biggest giants in business. We have two of the biggest economies. US, working together, is a natural partnership. And you can look decade by decade and forget the daily bumps... the relationship has been doing this decade by decade and growing," he added.
Gor also expressed support for the Quad mechanism, noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India again this year. "The secretary will be coming here to India, but after India, we're actually going to continue, and he's going to travel to Australia, and that'll be another quad meeting," he said. Quad foreign ministers are likely to meet in Australia later this year, according to reports.
The Quad, comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia, has become a key platform for advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific. The grouping has focused on maritime security, infrastructure connectivity and countering disinformation. The upcoming meeting in Australia is expected to build on these priorities, with member nations coordinating on shared challenges in the region.
India and the US have seen a steady expansion of their strategic partnership over the past two decades, with cooperation in defence, technology and counter-terrorism deepening. Trade has also been a significant pillar, with both countries aiming to resolve differences through the proposed agreement. Gor's remarks underline Washington's commitment to strengthening this framework at a time of complex global geopolitical shifts.
The ambassador's comments come as both nations work to navigate a challenging international environment, marked by trade disputes and security concerns. His optimism about the trade deal and the broader relationship reflects the shared interests of the two largest democracies in promoting stability and prosperity.
