S. Jaishankar and Marco Rubio hold crucial talks to strengthen India-US Relations

India-US Relations: Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a significant meeting in New York on September 22nd. This meeting marked a new turning point in India-US relations, particularly in the areas of trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals, and minerals. PM Modi writes open letter to Nation; Urges shopkeepers to sell ‘Made in India’ products Jaishankar's Statement After meeting Marco Rubio, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted on the social media platform "X" that his meeting with Rubio in New York was extremely positive. Good to meet @SecRubio this morning in New York. Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch. 🇮🇳 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/q31vCxaWel — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 22, 2025 He stated that the meeting discussed bilateral and international issues between the two countries and ensured that such discussions would continue in the future. India's Importance to the United States Marco Rubio stated after the meeting that "India's relationship is extremely important to the United States." He praised India's partnership in various sectors, such as trade, defense, pharmaceuticals, energy, and minerals, which are playing a vital role in strengthening the relationship between the two countries. He also gave positive signals about further strengthening trade relations with India. Impact of Trump Administration Decisions Under former US President Donald Trump, tensions in India-US relations increased, especially regarding trade issues. Trump's decision to impose a 50 percent tariff (customs duty) on India soured trade relations between the two countries. US raises H-1B visa fee to Rs 88 Lakh from today; Who will be impacted and who gets exemption? Furthermore, Trump increased the fee on H-1B visas, which became a major issue for India's IT sector. India is the largest user of H-1B visas, and Trump's decision to increase their cost could have caused significant losses for Indian companies. Hike in H-1B Visa Fees Former US President Trump announced a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. This directly impacted Indian IT professionals, who are the most commonly used for employment in the US. The increase in this fee raised costs for Indian IT companies and heightened tensions between India and the US regarding this issue. [caption id="attachment_158935" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Bilateral meeting between Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio[/caption] There is a need to improve trade and strategic relations between India and the United States. Certain decisions by the Trump administration have increased tensions, but it is now hoped that this meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries may help resolve these issues. Further discussions could prove crucial for enhancing cooperation between India and the United States, especially as important issues such as trade, visas, and defense are being discussed between the two countries.