In an effort to repair ties and fast-track the India-U.S. trade agreement, U.S. Ambassador-designate to India and President Donald Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs Sergio Gor arrived in Delhi on Saturday (October 11, 2025) and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr. Gor, who is in New Delhi for a few days, will only take charge “in the new year,” the U.S. Embassy said, raising speculation that he is here to firm up details for a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Modi on the sidelines of the upcoming ASEAN-related summits in Kuala Lumpur on October 26 and 27.

“I’m confident that his tenure will further strengthen the India–U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi said on X. In a post, Mr. Gor said he was confident the U.S.-India relationship will “only strengthen over the months ahead”.

Mr. Gor told reporters that he discussed bilateral issues with PM Modi, including defence, trade, and technology. “We also discussed the importance of critical minerals and the importance of that to both of our nations,” he added.

In a series of back-to-back meetings on Saturday (October 11, 2025), Mr. Gor met with PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The intensity of the meetings with India’s foreign policy leadership is an indicator of the U.S. government’s eagerness to get India-U.S. relations back on the rails again after months of strain over the 50% tariffs on Indian goods, visa crackdowns, U.S. pressure over ending India’s Russian oil imports and differences over the narrative on Operation Sindoor. However, PM Modi and Mr. Trump have had two telephone calls in the past month, which have raised hopes they can repair the rupture in ties.

In particular, any move by India to reduce its intake of Russian Ural will be watched closely, with the import level having dipped already despite larger discounts being offered in recent weeks.

PM Modi’s praise of Mr. Trump’s Gaza peace proposal and tweets in seven different languages are believed to be aimed at addressing Mr. Trump’s obvious annoyance that India did not join other countries in endorsing him for the Nobel Peace Prize and has denied that the U.S. had any role in ending the Operation Sindoor conflict with Pakistan.

The latest China-U.S. spat, which has led to the U.S. imposing 100% tariffs on Chinese goods in retaliation for China’s restrictions on critical mineral trade, is also expected to make the India-U.S. trade deal appear more attractive for both sides.

“Discussed the India-U.S. relationship and its global significance,” Mr. Jaishankar posted on social media after the meeting with Mr. Gor, wishing him for his new responsibility in Delhi. According to the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, Mr. Gor and Mr. Misri had a “productive exchange on the India-U.S. Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and its shared priorities”.

Mr. Gor is accompanied by Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J. Rigas, arriving days after the U.S. Senate confirmed his appointment as the U.S. Ambassador to India. His visit is unusual, as according to normal protocol, he would arrive in Delhi, and conduct meetings only after he has presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu.

However, the timing of the meeting, just weeks before the ASEAN summit, as well as the unorthodox manner of U.S. diplomacy are seen as reasons for the sudden visit. In particular, Mr. Gor is believed to have conveyed the urgency of finalising the India-U.S. trade agreement at the earliest, before the leaders meet.

Also read: India-U.S. in continuous dialogue for trade pact: Piyush Goyal

According to a U.S. State Department release, Mr. Gor was to be in India from October 9 to 14. However, he attended the Indian Embassy Deepavali party in Washington on October 10 before arriving in Delhi on Saturday (October 11, 2025) for the meetings. According to sources, Mr. Gor will stay on for the next few days for meetings inside the U.S. embassy as well as with other stakeholders in Delhi. He is expected to return at a later date to present his credentials and take charge of the U.S. embassy in Delhi as well as his role in the region.

“We look forward to his permanent move in the new year but we are hitting the ground running,” the U.S. Embassy in Delhi said in a statement, referring to it as his “First official visit”.

India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of penalties, two Government sources told The New York Times, not wishing to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

“These are long-term oil contracts,” one of the sources said. “It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight.”

Mr. Trump last month indicated in a Truth Social post that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Friday (August 1, 2025), Mr. Trump told reporters that he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia.

​Soured relations: The Hindu editorial on Trump’s 25% tariff, ‘penalty’

The New York Times on Saturday (August 2, 2025) quoted two unnamed senior Indian officials as saying there had been no change in Indian government policy, with one official saying the government had “not given any direction to oil companies” to cut back imports from Russia.

Reuters reported this week that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil in the past week, following a narrowing of discounts in July.

Country-wise Breakdown of Import Volumes
| Photo Credit:
PTI GRAPHICS

“On our energy sourcing requirements … we look at what is there available in the markets, what is there on offer, and also what is the prevailing global situation or circumstances,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a regular briefing on Friday.

Mr. Jaiswal added that India has a “steady and time-tested partnership” with Russia, and that New Delhi’s relations with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country.

The White House in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Indian refiners are pulling back from Russian crude as discounts shrink to their lowest since 2022, when Western sanctions were first imposed on Moscow, due to lower Russian exports and steady demand, sources said earlier this week.

The country’s state refiners — Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd — have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources familiar with the refiners’ purchase plans told Reuters.

India’s top oil supplier

On July 14, Mr. Trump threatened 100% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. Russia is the top supplier to India, responsible for about 35% of India’s overall supplies.

Russia continued to be the top oil supplier to India during the first six months of 2025, accounting for about 35% of India’s overall supplies, followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

India, the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer, received about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil in January-June this year, up 1% from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by sources.

Nayara Energy, a major buyer of Russian oil, was recently sanctioned by the European Union as the refinery is majority-owned by Russian entities, including oil major Rosneft .

Last month, Reuters reported that Nayara’s chief executive had resigned after the imposition of EU sanctions and company veteran Sergey Denisov had been appointed as CEO.

Three vessels laden with oil products from Nayara Energy have yet to discharge their cargoes, hindered by the new EU sanctions on the Russia-backed refiner, Reuters reported late last month.