Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that negotiations between India and the United States on a long-awaited trade agreement have recorded “significant progress”, following his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump.
The two leaders held discussions on Wednesday on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, France. It was their first face-to-face engagement since their previous meeting in Washington in February 2025.
According to a readout issued by India’s foreign ministry, both sides expressed satisfaction over the advancement of talks towards an interim Bilateral Trade Agreement. The statement highlighted that officials from both countries have been instructed to continue work with the aim of finalising a “commercially meaningful agreement at the earliest opportunity”.
US President Trump, speaking to reporters in Evian, said the two sides were “very close” to reaching a deal. He also praised Modi’s negotiating style, describing him as a highly skilled and tough negotiator while adding a series of personal remarks about the Indian leader during the briefing.
In terms of next steps, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is expected to visit India next week to continue discussions in the latest round of negotiations.
Both countries have set an ambitious goal of increasing bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030, with ongoing talks aimed at resolving long-standing issues related to tariffs and market access.
Although an initial understanding was reached earlier in February, progress slowed following legal and policy developments in the United States, including tariff-related decisions and new trade investigations. Despite this, officials from both sides continue to describe the negotiations as active and forward-moving, with expectations of further progress in the coming months.
