Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation during a telephone conversation on Wednesday, discussing trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas of mutual interest.
Modi said in a post on 'X' that he had a productive conversation with Trump and that both leaders agreed to remain in touch.
"We reviewed our bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas. We agreed to maintain close engagement to take our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership forward," he said.
The conversation came days after Trump signed the 'Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026' into law, giving his administration the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue significant purchases of Russian energy, including India and China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping was also in the United States from September 23 to 25, where he held bilateral talks with Trump.
Modi and Trump exchanged views on regional and international developments and discussed ongoing efforts to promote global peace and security, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and agreed to maintain close engagement to deepen cooperation for the benefit of the people of both countries, the statement said.
"The two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation across trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas of mutual interest," the statement said.
Notably, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, with India's concerns related to the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA) figuring in their talks.
"Good to meet @SecRubio of the US #UNHighLevelWeek. Reiterated India's interests and concerns with regard to SRIA. Also discussed the Gulf and Ukraine situations," he had said.
India is a major buyer of Russian oil.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is currently in the United States for the G20 trade ministers' meeting. On the sidelines, he will meet US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Goyal will engage bilaterally with him as part of ongoing efforts to advance a balanced and mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and finalise an interim deal in line with the Joint Statement of February 7, 2026.
India and the US in February announced the finalisation of the framework for the first phase of the BTA. However, changes in the US tariff landscape have led to further negotiations on the pact.
Goyal on September 24 said that the trade pact between India and the US is "done and dusted" and will be executed once the United States gives India the right competitive advantage over its competitors in the American market.
At present, Indian goods attract an additional 10% duty. It was imposed under a Section 301 probe, citing concerns related to "forced labour".
Goyal last met USTR Greer in June. He led an official delegation during June 22-24. "The two leaders conducted a comprehensive review of core BTA elements, including enhanced market access, digital trade, supply chain resilience, reduction of non-tariff barriers, and expanded cooperation in strategic sectors... Discussions focused on pathways to conclude an interim agreement as an important milestone toward a comprehensive BTA," a commerce ministry statement dated June 24 said.
Notably, India's exports to the US increased by 21.83% to $8.4 billion in August, while imports rose 65.78% to $5.97 billion, according to Commerce Ministry data.
During April-August 2026-27, India's merchandise exports to the US grew 6.17% to $42.8 billion, while imports increased 29.6% to $28 billion.
The US was India's largest trading partner in 2025-26, with bilateral merchandise trade worth $132.2 billion, comprising exports of $86.51 billion and imports of $45.62 billion.
India's major merchandise exports include electronic goods, engineering products, and drugs and pharmaceuticals, while imports include crude petroleum, electronic items and industrial machinery.
(With inputs from PTI)
