As India and the United States move closer to signing a long-awaited trade agreement, Washington is increasingly framing the relationship around a single idea, trust.
Speaking at IIT Delhi on Friday, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor repeatedly described India as a trusted partner for the US across critical sectors ranging from technology and pharmaceuticals to space and strategic supply chains. The comments come at a time when both countries are finalising a bilateral trade deal that officials say is nearing completion.
‘We trust this place’
More than trade, however, Gor’s speech focused on why India has become increasingly important to US strategic planning. “The reason India was in the first top 10 countries around the world to join this is that we trust this place. We trust the people here, we trust the technology, we trust your government,” the ambassador said.
He explained that India’s importance has expanded beyond economic considerations and now carries growing strategic weight. “The importance of India is now… not only economically but strategically to the world.”
Trade deal is nearly complete
Gor said negotiators were working through the final details of the agreement and expressed confidence that it would be signed soon. “Just last week, India had sent a team to Washington DC to finalise the last 1 per cent of that trade deal. Next week we will welcome a US delegation here to continue those talks.”
“We fully expect that the trade deal will be signed over the next few weeks and months,” he said. “Just last week, India had sent a team to Washington DC to finalise the last 1 per cent of that trade deal. Next week we will welcome a US delegation here to continue those talks.” The progress on the trade pact comes regardless of periodic disagreements over tariffs and market access, issues that have complicated negotiations in recent months.
According to Gor, India is becoming part of a network of trusted ecosystems and resilient supply chains that the US is building around critical technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum computing.
He pointed to growing investments by major American companies, including Amazon, Microsoft and Google, as evidence of confidence in India’s long-term technology potential. The ambassador also suggested that Washington is reviewing export-control policies in ways that could deepen cooperation with India in advanced technology sectors.
TRUST initiative
Gor explained that the US-India TRUST initiative as one of the clearest examples of the changing relationship. “This is something that has not extended all across the globe. It’s being shared with trusted partners like India,” he said. The initiative seeks to strengthen cooperation in critical technologies and supply chains while bringing together governments, industry and academic institutions.
Pharma, critical minerals and space cooperation deepen
The ambassador also cited sectors where trust has already translated into economic and strategic cooperation. “On pharmaceuticals, we import close to 40 per cent of our generics from India,” Gor said, calling it evidence of confidence in India’s manufacturing ecosystem.
He welcomed India’s National Critical Minerals Mission and said both countries were working together on supply chains, processing and research partnerships. Gor also focused on cooperation between NASA and ISRO, describing India as one of the trusted partners Washington works with in strategically important sectors.