India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has strongly rejected a Reuters report suggesting that New Delhi had turned down a quick trade agreement with the United States and was holding out for better terms.
Responding to the report, Goyal called the claims “completely false, baseless and misleading,” while maintaining that trade negotiations between India and the United States remain active.
The Reuters report, published on July 13, said India had resisted concluding an interim trade agreement during U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s visit to New Delhi in June. Citing unnamed officials and sources familiar with the negotiations, the report claimed that differences remained over tariffs, agriculture and India’s demand for favourable treatment compared with competing exporters.
Goyal disputed the characterization of the talks, saying he had “fantastic meetings” with Greer during the U.S. trade representative’s visit to Delhi.
According to Goyal, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to reaching an agreement that is balanced, commercially meaningful and capable of delivering tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers and consumers in India and the United States.
“Our teams remain fully engaged in achieving this objective,” Goyal said.
Reuters had reported that India was in no rush to finalize an agreement without assurances on key demands, including tariff advantages and protection for sensitive sectors such as agriculture. The report also suggested that stronger exports, new trade partnerships and easing economic risks had given New Delhi greater confidence in the negotiations.
However, Goyal’s response directly challenged the report’s broader portrayal of the talks as stalled or marked by an Indian rejection of a quick agreement.
His statement indicates that negotiations remain ongoing, with both sides continuing to work toward a mutually beneficial trade agreement. No timeline has been officially announced for the conclusion of the talks.
