Trade deal with India likely in not-too-distant future: US Commerce Secretary

“So the idea is when they put the right person and India put the right person on the other side of the table, and we've managed, I think, to be in a very, very good place,” he said in his keynote address.

He added, “And you should expect a deal between the United States and India in the not-too-distant future because I think we found a place that really works for both countries.”

Describing the outlook for the trade pact, Lutnick said, “I would say very optimistic.” He stressed the role of effective negotiators, saying, “if they put a normal trade minister, it's an endless set of talking and no outcome because they're used to saying, ‘this kind of deal would take three years, we'll get this done in two years’, and that's not really fun for me.”