Sign up here.The US and India have been edging closer for years. Washington sees India as a key regional counterweight against a more assertive China, while for New Delhi, the US has become an increasingly important source of foreign investment and a partner for trade and security.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said he expects India to strike the first bilateral trade deal to avoid President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, according to the New York Post. A 26 per cent ‘reciprocal’ tariff on Indian exports to the US is currently on a pause set to expire on July 8.

President Donald Trump revealed that India is expected to lower tariffs on certain goods, signaling a positive shift in ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries. His statement follows US Vice President JD Vance's visit to Jaipur,