INDIA and the US have agreed to begin negotiations aimed at resolving trade and tariff disputes, following talks between Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump in Washington.

India has committed to increasing purchases of US oil, gas, and defence equipment, while both sides pledged to address trade barriers.

The meeting came hours after Trump criticised India’s business environment and announced plans for reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose duties on US imports.

“Prime minister Modi recently announced the reductions to India’s unfair, very strong tariffs that limit US access to the Indian market, very strongly,” Trump said. “And really it’s a big problem, I must say.”

India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri said the trade concerns could be resolved within seven months.

A joint statement released after the meeting noted that the US welcomed India’s recent steps to lower tariffs on selected US goods and expand market access for US agricultural products. Talks are set to take place to negotiate parts of a trade deal by autumn 2025.

Both leaders had differing perspectives on tariffs, but Misri said they had found a way forward. “What is more remarkable… is the fact that we have a way forward on this issue,” he said.

India has also expressed interest in expanding its defence and energy trade with the US. Trump said India could become one of Washington’s largest buyers of oil and gas Read More….