US Under Secretary Allison Hooker in India to boost ties amid advancing trade talks

Allison Hooker, the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, will visit New Delhi and Bengaluru from December 7 to 11, the US Embassy and Consulates in India said in a statement.

The visit is aimed at advancing the US-India strategic partnership, expanding economic and commercial ties — including boosting American exports — and strengthening cooperation in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and space exploration.

In New Delhi, Hooker is expected to engage with senior Indian officials on regional security, economic collaboration, and shared Indo-Pacific objectives. She is also likely to take part in the Foreign Office Consultations with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

In Bengaluru, she may visit the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and hold meetings with leaders from India’s space, energy, and technology sectors. The focus will be on enhancing research collaborations and identifying new opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

Her visit represents another step in advancing President Donald Trump’s priorities for a strong U.S.-India relationship and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The visit also comes at a crucial juncture, with Washington and New Delhi in the final stages of negotiating a bilateral trade agreement. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently stated that the two countries are close to finalising the proposed deal.

In parallel, US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer and his team will also be in India this week, Bloomberg reported.

These high-level visits follow Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day trip to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian government is keen to seal a trade agreement with the Trump administration, which could lead to a rollback of the 50% tariffs imposed by the US. Those tariffs were partly in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil.

The US and India have been working on a phased trade deal, with the initial stage aimed at addressing the retaliatory duties levied by Washington. Trump has praised Modi for reducing Russian oil imports and has hinted at potential tariff relief.

Last month, Trump said the US would lower duties on Indian products “at some point” and that the two sides were “pretty close” to a deal. Several rounds of meetings between the two countries have taken place in recent months, with Indian officials expressing cautious optimism.

The US is currently India’s largest export market. The elevated import duties have adversely affected several labour-intensive sectors, including textiles, leather, footwear, and jewellery—adding urgency to the push for a trade breakthrough.