Trump may visit India early next year; trade deal in final stretch: Marco Rubio

The Trump administration is working towards a visit by US President Donald Trump to India in the early part of next year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, signalling growing momentum in bilateral ties as New Delhi and Washington move closer to concluding a trade agreement.

In an  interview with IANS at the White House on Saturday, Rubio said he also plans to visit India before the end of this year to prepare for the presidential trip.

"I look forward to returning myself before the end of the year and setting up a presidential visit in the early parts of next year," Rubio said.

When asked whether Trump's visit could take place next year, Rubio replied, "We're hoping. That's what we're working towards, sometime early next year to have the President come."

Rubio said India-US relations had strengthened further following the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.

"I think it's going fantastic. I mean, it's very strong," he said. "We had a great meeting with the Prime Minister. The President did at the G7."

The secretary of state also expressed confidence that both countries were close to finalising a bilateral trade agreement.

"We're hoping to finalise a trade deal. We're on the last inches of getting it done, and it's very positive," he said.

He added that Washington was looking forward to the next meeting of Quad leaders.

"We look forward to re-engaging again in another Quad meeting very soon," he said.

Calling India one of America's closest partners, Rubio highlighted the personal equation between the two leaders.

"India is such a close partner and ally of the United States, and the relationship between the Prime Minister and the President couldn't be closer, which I think is really important in diplomacy," he said.

Trump last visited India in February 2020, when he attended the "Namaste Trump" rally in Ahmedabad with Prime Minister Modi before holding bilateral talks in New Delhi. Since returning to office, Trump and Modi have remained in regular contact as both governments seek to expand cooperation in trade, defence, technology and the Indo-Pacific.

The remarks also come as India and the US continue negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement.

The two countries signed a framework for an interim trade deal in February 2026, with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal expressing confidence at the time that an agreement would be concluded by April or early May. However, negotiations have been delayed due to legal challenges to the US reciprocal tariff regime and ongoing Section 301 investigations into Indian exports.