India-US BTA Talks: Indian Team to Visit Washington Next Week to Finalise Early Trade Deal Modalities

A team of senior Indian trade officials, led by Chief Trade Negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, will travel to Washington next week to begin formal in-person discussions with their US counterparts on the proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). The three-day visit, beginning April 23, marks the first face-to-face meeting since the terms of reference (ToR) for the agreement were finalised and signed in March.

The visit also follows a recent diplomatic push, including Assistant US Trade Representative (USTR) Brendan Lynch’s trip to New Delhi last month, reflecting renewed urgency on both sides to advance negotiations.
The focus of the upcoming talks will be to flesh out the modalities for an “early tranche” of the BTA, which the two countries aim to conclude within the next three months. Officials said the discussions will set the tone for the level of ambition, sectoral priorities, and the pathway toward finalising the deal.

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“The ToR will now be further developed and operationalised. It outlines areas such as tariff concessions, non-tariff barriers, rules of origin, and customs facilitation,” a senior government official said.

Agriculture, IPR, Visas to Feature in Negotiations
In addition to goods and services, talks are likely to touch upon long-standing regulatory issues, including intellectual property rights, visa regimes, the totalisation agreement (on social security taxes), and government procurement. Sensitive areas such as agriculture are also expected to be a part of the “ask lists” from both sides. Officials also confirmed that the scheduling of future negotiation rounds will be on the table, indicating a fast-tracked timeline.

This round of engagement is particularly significant as it coincides with a 90-day pause on country-specific reciprocal tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump on April 9. The pause is being seen as a strategic opportunity to seal an interim or limited trade deal by July 9—well ahead of a comprehensive pact expected by fall 2025. “The urgency reflects both sides’ recognition of the narrow window and the need to show progress,” the official added.

Path to $500 Billion in Bilateral Trade
The BTA is part of a broader economic strategy jointly envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. The proposed deal is expected to open significant opportunities across sectors—from textiles and apparel to pharmaceuticals, services, and digital trade.

Earlier this week, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said, “India has decided to follow the path of trade liberalisation with the US. If tariff and non-tariff barriers are eased, it will boost trade growth and unlock massive business potential.”