US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning a fresh visit to India next month amid continued efforts to negotiate a bilateral trade deal. The ongoing war with Iran and plans for President Donald Trump to visit New Delhi in early 2027 are also likely to be key talking points during the trip. 

According to an Indian Express report, Rubio is likely to visit India in October. Officials are also reportedly preparing for a possible summit of Quad leaders in December. The meeting is expected to take place on the sidelines of the US-hosted summit of G20 leaders on December 14 and 15. 

Trade deal stalls amid changing tariffs

India and the United States had announced an interim trade deal in February — lowering tariffs on Indian goods to 18% and scrapping an additional 25% punitive levy over purchase of Russian oil. But the negotiations took a turn after the US Supreme Court scrapped the sweeping reciprocal tariffs announced by Trump in 2025. Changes in the tariff landscape had led to further negotiations between the two countries on the pact. The US also imposed an additional 10% tax against several countries (including India) from July 24.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that the details of a Bilateral Trade Agreement with the US will be announced once Washington offers preferential terms. He noted that India had already secured nine Free Trade Agreements spanning economies representing about $60 trillion of GDP — providing preferential access to nearly two-thirds of global trade. The Indian official will visit the US at the end of September for the G20 Trade Ministerial event. He is slated to hold bilateral talks with USTR Jamieson Greer, with trade pact issues expected to figure in the discussions.

“(Trade pact with) New Zealand will get live soon and thereafter (FTA with) EU, the 27-nation bloc, will get live. And as soon as the US is able to give us the preferential rate, in comparison to our competition, we will finalise the BTA and announce the final details,” he said.

Quad Summit in December?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet with President Donald Trump later this year as America hosts the G20 Summit in Florida. According to an Indian Express update, Rubio will attempt to schedule a Quad summit in the US during the event.

Ties between India and the United States had come under severe strain as Trump made frequent claims about US mediation in Operation Sindoor. The POTUS has insisted on dozens of occasions that he singlehandedly averted nuclear war between India and Pakistan — persisting despite clarifications from the Ministry of External Affairs. The imposition of a steep 50% tariff against Indian goods had only widened the rift.