Indian envoy Kwatra discusses 'common interests', bilateral ties with top U.S. diplomat

India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and senior U.S. diplomat Paul Kapur have discussed "common interests" and ways to advance bilateral ties during a meeting at the State Department, their second interaction in a week.

The meeting, held on Thursday (November 6, 2025) local time, came on a day when President Donald Trump said he could travel to India next year and noted that talks with New Delhi are “going good".

In a social media post, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Mr. Kapur thanked Ambassador Kwatra for visiting him at the State Department.

"Discussed common interests and ways to advance the U.S.-India partnership. Looking forward to continuing the conversation," he wrote.

The meeting comes as New Delhi and Washington remain engaged in discussions on a proposed bilateral trade agreement amid tensions over Russian oil purchases and tariff-related issues.

Earlier on Tuesday (November 4, 2025), Mr. Kwatra and Mr. Kapur met at India House.

In a social media post on Wednesday (November 5, 2025), Mr. Kapur said, "Thank you @AmbVMKwatra for graciously hosting me at India House last night. Appreciated the opportunity to discuss shared bilateral and regional priorities, including strengthening the U.S.-India relationship." Mr. Kwatra on Thursday also held discussions with information technology company Cohesity CEO Sanjay Poonen on bilateral cooperation in software security and AI between India and U.S. industries.

Ties between New Delhi and Washington have come under severe strain after Mr. Trump imposed 50% tariffs on India, including an additional 25% levies for its procurement of Russian crude oil.

India has called the U.S. action "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable", maintaining that its energy decisions are driven by affordability and national interest.

According to Commerce Ministry data, India's merchandise exports to the U.S. declined by 11.93% to $5.46 billion in September due to the high tariffs imposed by Washington, while imports increased by 11.78% to $3.98 billion during the month.

The U.S. remained India's largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, with bilateral trade valued at $131.84 billion ($86.5 billion exports). It accounts for about 18% of India's total goods exports, 6.22% in imports, and 10.73% in the country's total merchandise trade.