US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met in New York on Monday, signalling both sides’ willingness to keep diplomatic channels open despite mounting strains over tariffs and visa restrictions, Bloomberg reported.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, focused on trade, defence, energy, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals, according to a US government readout. Officials also reaffirmed commitments to cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, including through the Quad grouping with Japan and Australia.

Jaishankar said in a post on X that the talks addressed “a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern” and that both governments had agreed to maintain sustained engagement on priority matters.

Relations have come under pressure since President Donald Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports last month in response to New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil. Although trade talks briefly resumed afterwards, tensions deepened last week when Trump announced a 100,000 US dollar fee on new H-1B visa applications.

The visa change, which would hit Indian nationals hardest, has unsettled the country’s 280 billion US dollar technology services sector, threatening outsourcing business models and putting thousands of jobs at risk. Indians account for more than 70 per cent of H-1B visas granted annually.

Washington has also pressed India to halt imports of Russian oil, warning that the purchases help finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine. While Indian officials have urged the United States to remove additional tariff penalties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has said it will not suspend energy transactions with Russia.