India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau recently held discussions on reducing trade barriers, strengthening defence and technology collaboration, and addressing illegal immigration, according to the US Department of State.
A statement from the US Department of State highlighted that both sides are working towards achieving a “fair and balanced bilateral trade relationship” while also focusing on security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Deputy Secretary Landau expressed gratitude for India’s efforts in addressing illegal immigration to the US and urged continued cooperation on the issue. Their discussions also took place against the backdrop of the US announcing reciprocal tariffs on India, set to take effect from April 2.
During the meeting, Foreign Secretary Misri congratulated Landau on his recent confirmation by the US Senate and invited him to visit India. He emphasized the growing strategic convergence between the two nations under the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
In addition to trade and defence cooperation, both sides discussed mobility and migration issues. The US embassy in India recently canceled around 2,000 visa appointments that were booked using bots, reinforcing its strict policy against visa fraud.
The embassy reiterated its zero-tolerance approach in a post on X, stating, “Consular Team India is canceling about 2000 visa appointments made by bots. We have zero tolerance for agents and fixers that violate our scheduling policies.”
Both India and the US have agreed to maintain active engagement on these critical matters to further deepen their bilateral relationship.
