India‑U.S. talks resume

India will send chief negotiator Darpan Jain to Washington from April 20 to 22 to restart trade talks with the United States after a three-to-four month gap. (thehindubusinessline.com, indiatoday.in) India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said the visit will focus on the legal text of a bilateral trade agreement, while officials continue virtual discussions in the meantime. The current round follows a 40-minute call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump on April 14. (thehindubusinessline.com) The talks are picking up from a framework the two governments announced in February 2026. In that joint statement, Washington said it would apply an 18 percent reciprocal tariff on Indian goods and remove that tariff on a wider list of products if an interim agreement is completed. (commerce.gov.in) That February framework named product groups on both sides. The United States listed possible tariff relief for generic pharmaceuticals, gems and diamonds, and aircraft parts, while India was set to receive a preferential tariff-rate quota for some auto parts and negotiated outcomes on pharmaceuticals subject to a separate United States review. (commerce.gov.in) The negotiations have also been overtaken by new United States trade actions. On March 11, the Office of the United States Trade Representative opened Section 301 investigations into manufacturing excess capacity, naming India among the economies under review, with hearings scheduled for May 5 to 8. (federalregister.gov) Indian officials say those Section 301 cases are part of what they will contest as talks resume. Reporting this week said New Delhi submitted its response to the United States Trade Representative and rejected the allegations in the investigations. (moneycontrol.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com) The tariff math is central to India’s position. Earlier reporting said New Delhi wanted concessions that leave it better placed than exporters in Bangladesh and Vietnam, especially after changes in Washington’s tariff regime reduced the value of the earlier 18 percent offer. (thehindubusinessline.com) The trade relationship is large enough that even an interim deal would move real volumes. The Office of the United States Trade Representative says U.S. goods trade with India reached $149.4 billion in 2025, with U.S. imports from India at $103.8 billion and a U.S. goods deficit of $58.2 billion. (ustr.gov) Indian data points to the same imbalance from the other side. India’s Commerce Ministry data, cited by The Hindu BusinessLine, showed exports to the United States at $87.31 billion in fiscal year 2025-26 and imports at $52.90 billion, leaving India with a $34.41 billion surplus. (thehindubusinessline.com) The immediate question in Washington next week is not whether the two sides can meet, but whether they can turn a February framework into a signed interim pact under a tariff system that has already shifted once this year. (commerce.gov.in, thehindubusinessline.com)