US under secretary Hooker lands in India as trade talks gain pace

Allison Hooker, the US Department of State’s Under Secretary for Political Affairs, landed in India on Sunday for a five-day visit, aimed at deepening bilateral strategic cooperation and helping advance ongoing trade negotiations between Washington and New Delhi.

Hooker’s itinerary will cover both New Delhi and Bengaluru, according to a statement from the US embassy.

In the capital, she is expected to meet senior Indian officials, including foreign secretary Vikram Misri, for what are listed as “foreign office consultations.”

In Bengaluru, Hooker plans to engage with leaders from India’s space, energy, and technology sectors, including a likely visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), underscoring a US push to expand cooperation in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and space exploration.

The embassy noted that the visit is designed to deepen economic and commercial ties, push for increased US exports to India and broadly strengthen the US–India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.

Hooker’s trip coincides with a visit by a US trade negotiation team, led by Rick Switzer, which arrived earlier this week, as both sides attempt to move forward on a bilateral trade agreement.

The diplomatic push comes amid growing urgency after the US imposed sweeping tariffs of up to 50% on Indian exports earlier this year, a move partly triggered by New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil.

Those tariffs have triggered concern across labor-intensive Indian sectors, intensifying pressure on policymakers in both capitals to finalize a trade deal.

Analysts said the timing of Hooker’s visit, coming just days after the high-profile trip to India by Russian President Vladimir Putin, may be designed to accelerate resolution of trade friction and reset the trajectory for Indo-US economic relations.

With bilateral trade talks now expected to enter a fresh round as early as 10 December, Hooker’s visit could potentially signal a new phase in US-India engagement that goes beyond tariffs to strategic technology and security cooperation.