Their meeting coincides with the day India and the U.S. are set to hold discussions aimed at reaching a prompt conclusion to a trade agreement.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. File photo | Credit: ANI
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, September 22, 2025, for bilateral discussions, as the high-level 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) commenced.
The meeting at the Lotte New York Palace marks their first in-person interaction since President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on India over its purchases of Russian oil, bringing the total tariffs on India to 50%.
They last met in July in Washington, D.C., during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Their current meeting comes on the same day India and the U.S. are set to hold talks aimed at finalizing a trade agreement at the earliest.
A delegation led by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is scheduled to meet with the U.S. side on Monday, September 22, 2025, in the city. “The delegation aims to advance discussions toward the early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement,” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement.
The statement further noted that during the visit of officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to India on September 16, 2025, constructive discussions took place on various aspects of the trade deal, and both sides agreed to intensify efforts to move the process forward.
Mr. Jaishankar, who arrived in New York on Sunday (September 21, 2025) for the high-level UNGA week, will hold a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the session and will deliver the national statement at the General Debate on September 27, 2025 from the iconic green UNGA podium.
Jyoti Gupta 
Harsh Kumar