India-US trade talks on track even as tariff tensions persist

Despite mounting uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's repeated threats to impose additional tariffs on India for crude purchases from Russia, New Delhi says trade negotiations with Washington remain on course.

- Dhirendra Kumar & Rhik Kundu

Discussions are advancing on "four parallel tracks" involving negotiators, ministers, diplomats, and industry representatives, commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal told reporters on Thursday. He said clarity on the proposed sixth round of talks would emerge later this month.

"When we met with the US team in New Delhi, they indicated another round of discussions in the last week of August. We are guided by the joint statement made by the leadership, which outlined the goal of doubling bilateral trade between the two nations to $500 billion," he said.