India’s negotiations for the trade deal with the United States will now be led by Darpan Jain as the Chief Negotiator from the Indian side. He is a 2001-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre and is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Earlier, Rajesh Agrawal was serving as the Chief Negotiator, but he has now been appointed as Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce. Although as a commerce secretary Agarwal will supervise the negotiation.

Before being appointed as Chief Negotiator, Darpan Jain played a key role in several bilateral trade negotiations with multiple countries. He has been serving in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for nearly six years and is known for his strong expertise in international trade negotiations.

A high-level delegation from the office of the US Trade Representative, led by Deputy US Trade Representative Ambassador Rick Switzer, will visit India from December 9-11, 2025.

Negotiations between the two countries are scheduled for December 10 and 11, focusing on all trade-related issues as both nations work to advance the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).