India Dismisses Claims of Secret Doval-Rubio Meeting on Trade

New Delhi has firmly rejected a Bloomberg report alleging that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a secret meeting with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, aimed at improving diplomatic ties and advancing trade negotiations. During a regular press briefing on Thursday, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), stated, “Regarding the report by Bloomberg, I would like to say that there is absolutely no basis for that report. No such meeting or no such visit has taken place.”

The denial from the Indian government comes in the wake of Bloomberg’s claims that Doval had visited the United States shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The report suggested the visit was intended to convey New Delhi’s desire to move past the tensions that arose following the conclusion of Operation Sindoor.

According to the report, Doval emphasized that India would not be intimidated by U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration. It further suggested that India was willing to wait out the current U.S. administration, given past experiences with “hostile” American administrations. The report also noted that shortly after this alleged meeting, Trump reached out to Modi to extend birthday wishes on September 16.

In a significant diplomatic development, India and the United States announced on Monday a reduction in tariffs from 50 percent to 18 percent, following a call between Modi and Trump. The U.S. president claimed that a trade agreement had been reached, allowing India to lower tariffs in several areas to zero, while American tariffs would decrease to 18 percent.

India has made it clear that any trade deal must safeguard its sensitive agricultural and dairy sectors. Current discussions suggest that India may offer similar concessions as seen in its free trade agreements with the European Union and New Zealand, which would allow for the import of certain agricultural products under specific conditions.

During a media interaction on Thursday, Piyush Goyal, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, announced that the first phase of the trade agreement is expected to be signed within the next 30 to 45 days. A joint statement outlining the agreement’s broad contours is anticipated soon, while the legal framework is expected to be formalized in March.

This emerging trade agreement signifies a thaw in the traditionally strained India-U.S. relations that have been evident in recent years. The relationship saw significant tension following a contentious phone call between Modi and Trump in June 2025, during which Modi asserted that neither the U.S. nor its threats of tariffs led to a ceasefire with Pakistan after Operation Sindoor. Trump has consistently claimed that the U.S. played a role in bringing about this pause, a narrative supported by Islamabad.

The imposition of punitive tariffs of 25 percent on Indian goods by the U.S. at the end of August 2025, combined with existing reciprocal tariffs, had resulted in a total tariff rate of 50 percent, one of the highest imposed globally by the U.S. However, with the anticipated trade agreement, these rates are set to be significantly reduced.

As negotiations continue, the international community will be watching closely to see how these developments will reshape India-U.S. relations and affect their broader strategic interests.