NEW DELHI: Against the backdrop of an ongoing tariff tussle and trade negotiations between India and the United States, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to travel to Washington next week to attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting on February 4, in a visit seen as an effort to steady the bilateral ties.
The meeting will be hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Jaishankar also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with him on the margins.
The visit comes at a sensitive moment in India–U.S. relations, marked by differences over market access and tariffs, even as both sides continue to negotiate a long-pending bilateral trade agreement. Multiple rounds of talks held last year failed to yield a breakthrough, largely due to Washington’s demand for greater access to India’s farm and dairy sectors.
The trip also follows India’s recent conclusion of a free trade agreement with the European Union, reflecting New Delhi’s parallel push to diversify trade partnerships amid uncertainty in its largest strategic relationship. Jaishankar’s engagement with Rubio builds on their January 13 phone conversation, during which the two leaders discussed trade negotiations and prospects for expanding cooperation in the civil nuclear sector.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor later indicated that both sides were working towards an in-person meeting in February, signalling a desire to keep diplomatic channels active despite economic frictions.
A major development expected during the visit is India’s entry into the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative, an economic security partnership aimed at securing critical technology supply chains, including critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
Current members include the United Kingdom, Japan, Israel and Australia. India’s decision to join, after remaining on the sidelines for several weeks, is being viewed as a strategic signal of alignment with U.S.-led frameworks on supply chain resilience and technology security.
The visit follows a series of recent high-level interactions. Last week, Jaishankar met a three-member US Congressional delegation of Jimmy Patronis, Mike Rogers and Adam Smith to discuss trade, security and critical technologies.
Ambassador Gor, who attended the meeting, described the talks as “productive,” with a focus on strengthening the bilateral partnership. Engagement on critical minerals has gained particular momentum. Earlier this month, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw participated in a Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, highlighting India’s growing role in shaping resilient global supply chains. Jaishankar’s visit is expected to further anchor this cooperation, even as both sides continue to navigate unresolved trade disputes.