India, US Review Trade, Defence Ties In S Jaishankar-Marco Rubio Call

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday held a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and discussed a range of bilateral issues on trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence, and energy.

He said that both sides agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on bilateral and international issues.

“Just concluded a good conversation with @SecRubio. Discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy. Agreed to remain in touch on these and other issues,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.

Just concluded a good conversation with @SecRubio.

Discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy.

Agreed to remain in touch on these and other issues.

🇮🇳 🇺🇸

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 13, 2026

The telephonic conversation was held just a day after US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, assumed charge in New Delhi on Monday.

Gor said that both leaders could possibly meet next month.

In a post on X, Gor said that both leaders “discussed next steps regarding bilateral trade negotiations, critical minerals and a possible meeting next month.”

A quick update: @SecRubio Just concluded a positive call with @DrSJaishankar. They discussed next steps regarding our bilateral trade negotiations, critical minerals and a possible meeting next month. pic.twitter.com/wg3qlF8AuC

— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) January 13, 2026

Earlier on Monday, the US envoy announced that India will be invited to join Pax Silica, a US-led strategic initiative aimed at securing critical supply chains spanning silicon, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.

Rooted in deep cooperation with trusted partners, Pax Silica aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence, and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.

The initiative reflects what US officials describe as a new economic security paradigm, shaped by a growing consensus that secure supply chains, trusted technology and strategic infrastructure are indispensable to national power and long-term economic growth.

Gor had also emphasised continued engagement between the two sides.

“Real friends can disagree but always resolve their differences,” he said, adding that “both sides continue to be actively engaged.”

Reiterating the United States’ intent to move forward on economic negotiations, Gor said, “We are determined to get a trade deal,” and indicated that talks would continue without pause.

His remarks came at a sensitive moment for India-US trade ties, with negotiations yet to reach a breakthrough.

Recently, US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer visited New Delhi with his team to review the negotiations. The latest two-day round of talks concluded on December 11, 2025. Indian industry bodies and exporters are closely monitoring developments, as high import duties continue to affect shipments to the US. While exporters are exploring alternative markets, the US remains crucial, accounting for around 18 per cent of India’s total exports.

In February 2025, leaders of both nations asked officials to finalise the deal, aiming to conclude the first tranche by fall 2025. The goal is to raise bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. The US was India’s largest trading partner in 2024–25, with trade worth $131.84 billion.