'The US trusts India,' says Sergio Gor, insists Trump remains deeply invested in ties

United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday (Jun 29) insisted that the “United States trusts India”. Speaking at the IX US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit 2026, the American envoy also revealed that the long-awaited India-US trade agreement is now in its final stretch, with only a handful of issues left to resolve.

The remarks come amid intense speculation over the status of the interim trade deal, which has been under negotiation for roughly 18 months and is expected to play a key role in achieving the ambitious USD 500 billion bilateral trade target championed by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Most of this deal is complete. There are a few items that remain from both sides, but it's in the last 1 or 2 per cent of that deal," Gor said.

'The US trusts India'

Beyond trade, Gor used the summit to make a broader point about the state of the relationship. According to him, American businesses continue to raise familiar concerns before entering the Indian market. Questions about intellectual property protection, regulatory certainty and tax stability are routinely brought up during meetings at the US Embassy in New Delhi.

Yet the envoy argued that confidence in India has never been stronger. "Not a week goes by where an American company comes to see me, and they ask me, 'Ambassador, is it safe to invest in India? Will our IP be protected here?'" Gor said.

“It's an incredibly gratifying thing to say that the United States trusts India, we work with India, and we look forward to identifying those next opportunities for both of our sides.”

"There is not a day that goes by that a new item pops up for the two countries to work together," he added, pointing to artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and defence cooperation as key areas of future growth. The comments amounted to one of the strongest public endorsements of India's investment climate by a senior US official in recent months.

Trump remains deeply invested in the relationship with India

Gor also offered a glimpse into discussions taking place at the highest levels of the Trump administration. The ambassador revealed that he recently spent two hours with President Donald Trump in Washington and said the US President continues to speak warmly about India and his previous visits to the country.

"He has very fond memories of India. His last visit was one of the most remarkable visits that he continues to talk about," Gor said.

The envoy also disclosed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was so impressed by his first official visit to India in May that he is already planning a return trip before the end of the year.