Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Brian Mast on Sunday in New Delhi. They discussed the newly enacted Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act and the future trajectory of India‑U.S. relations, with MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noting that the talks covered the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation.
The SRIA, passed by Congress earlier this month, expands sanctions on Russia and Iran, granting the U.S. president authority to impose tariffs up to 100% on imports from countries that continue buying Russian energy. For India, this means Washington could target imports from nations that keep purchasing Russian oil, potentially tightening India’s trade posture.
Misri also met U.S. Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker at the UN General Assembly in New York, where he pushed for deeper collaboration on critical technologies, semiconductors and energy security.
India remains in negotiations for a Bilateral Trade Agreement with Washington while both sides broaden cooperation in supply‑chain resilience, advanced manufacturing and the Pax Silica initiative, which seeks secure AI and critical‑minerals supply chains.
The next step will be a formal review of the SRIA’s impact on Indian imports during the upcoming trade talks scheduled for October, as officials prepare to negotiate tariff thresholds and assess the legislative implications for Indian exporters.