India, US trade deal to be much different: Trump (File Photo) New Delhi: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said India and the United States were close to finalising a trade deal, adding that the agreement would be different from previous pacts. Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump expressed confidence that the two countries would reach an agreement. “They want to make a deal. We're going to make a deal. Pretty close, yeah,” Trump said in response to a question. “It’s going to be a much different kind of deal than we've done," the US president added, without providing details about how the proposed agreement would differ from earlier trade deals. Trump's remarks came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited India, where he held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on strengthening bilateral ties, including cooperation in trade, energy, technology and defence. During his visit to Mumbai on Tuesday, Rubio also expressed optimism about the progress of the India-US trade negotiations, saying the two sides were close to reaching an agreement. “The State Department doesn't negotiate trade agreements, but we are very much involved in what's happening,” Rubio said, adding that only a few issues remained to be resolved. “We're very, very close. I would say we're about as close as you can be without having executed the agreement. I think there's a small number of items left to wrap up, so I think that will happen shortly,” he said. India and the US have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement for more than a year. In February, the two countries announced a framework for the first phase of the agreement, with the aim of expanding trade and improving market access. However, negotiations continued amid changes in US tariff policy and differences over trade-related issues, including India's purchases of Russian oil. Earlier this month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Milwaukee and Washington to discuss the finer details of the proposed agreement. Trump's latest remarks, along with Rubio's comments during his India visit, signal renewed optimism about the negotiations. However, neither official announced a final agreement or confirmed a signing date. Anurag Kumar is an Assistant Editor at Times Now, where he leads the News Desk and Business Desk, driving coverage across politics, economy and market... View More