Jaishankar met Rubio amid tensions over US tariffs on India and a hefty $100,000 H-1B visa fee impacting Indian IT. Simultaneously, Piyush Goyal is leading trade agreement negotiations with the US.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Monday on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). This was their first in-person interaction since US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India’s purchases of Russian oil, raising the overall levies by Washington to 50 per cent.
#WATCH | New York: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) session. pic.twitter.com/BPoTm5Udfi
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2025
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday held a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York, where they discussed a wide range of bilateral and international matters.
Sharing details on X, Jaishankar said, “Good to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio this morning in New York. Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch.”
The two leaders had last come face-to-face in July in Washington DC during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Their tête-à-tête also comes days after the US introduced a significant change to the H-1B visa program, imposing a one-time $100,000 fee that must be paid by employers for each new H-1B visa petition. This fee applies to any new petition filed on or after September 21, 2025, and includes applications for the upcoming FY2026 lottery.
Indian IT firms, which are among the top users of the H-1B visa, will face a dramatic increase in costs. The new fee is more than ten times the previous cost, and analysts predict that it could reshape the business models of Indian IT companies and alter the career paths of thousands of Indian professionals.
India-US Trade Talks Begin
On the same day, Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal led a delegation in New York to pursue negotiations with the US towards concluding a trade agreement. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said the discussions aimed to take forward efforts for an “early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement.”
The ministry also noted that during the September 16 visit of officials from the office of the United States Trade Representative to India, “positive discussions were held on various aspects of the trade deal, and it was decided to intensify efforts in this regard.”
Jaishankar’s UNGA Address
Jaishankar arrived in New York on Sunday for the high-level UNGA week. He began his engagements with a meeting with the Philippines Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Theresa P. Lazaro.
“We followed up on the recent State Visit of President @bongbongmarcos to India. Also discussed our cooperation in the UN and the Indo-Pacific region,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.
Lazaro, in her remarks, said it was a “pleasure to meet Jaishankar again after President Bongbong Marcos’s successful state visit to India in August. Our discussion today reaffirms our two countries’ commitment as Strategic Partners to actively develop cooperation in political, defence and security, the maritime domain, etc.”
The external affairs minister is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings throughout the week in New York. He will also deliver India’s national statement at the General Debate on September 27 from the UNGA’s iconic green podium.
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