Speaking on the ongoing negotiations between New Delhi and Washington, former Managing Director of the US-India Business Council Alexander Slater analysed the key obstacles delaying a bilateral trade agreement. Slater noted that while both governments announced a framework agreement earlier in the year, substantive progress remains slow, remarking, ‘I think it would be very unlikely that you would see any trade agreement announced between the two sides before the midterm elections.’ He highlighted that past negotiations have consistently faced hurdles over issues such as totalization of benefits and agricultural tariffs. Slater also pointed to shifts in the geopolitical environment, including India’s purchases of Russian oil and tariff waivers under the Graham Act. Furthermore, he emphasized the critical role of people-to-people ties, warning that recent visa disruptions could threaten bilateral technology cooperation and choke off a valuable source of human capital for the United States.