Allison Hooker, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Dec 7–11 is on a five-day official visit to India, scheduled to conclude on December 11th.
The trip’s agenda is focused on three main areas:
- Deepening economic and commercial collaboration specifically by boosting U.S. exports to India.
- Advancing mutual interests in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and space exploration.
- Promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region, a key priority for the Donald Trump administration.
Hooker’s itinerary includes visits in both the national capital, New Delhi, and the major technology hub, Bangalore.
In New Delhi, Under Secretary Hooker is scheduled to engage in Foreign Office Consultations with senior Indian officials, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. These meetings will cover vital regional security matters, broader economic cooperation, and alignment on shared priorities within the Indo-Pacific.
The primary focus of the visit for New Delhi is to negotiate a reduction in punitive tariffs that the United States imposed on Indian goods following India’s purchase of Russian oil.
In Bangalore, the Under Secretary is specifically set to visit the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and engage with industry leaders from India’s space, energy, and technology sectors, to promote innovation and expanded research partnerships between the two countries.
The outreach is building directly on deepening security cooperation, highlighted by the 21st Meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism (CT) and the 7th Designations Dialogue held just days prior on December 3rd.
The need to maintain momentum is underscored by the presence of a separate U.S. trade delegation, led by Deputy United States Trade Representative Rick Switzer, arriving from December 10 – 12 for crucial talks aimed at resolving the trade disputes and finalizing an agreement’s first phase. The delegation will meet senior Indian officials as part of their bilateral trade negotiations during the visit.
The development comes at a time when investors are keenly awaiting a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) between the U.S. and India — the world’s largest and fourth-largest economies respectively.
Talking to reporters at a weekly briefing, Switzer said,”Both governments remain engaged with a view to concluding a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial, multi-sectoral bilateral trade agreement.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
