Indian officials are expected to press Washington, D.C., this week for greater access for their skilled workforce, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions. The request comes just days after President Donald Trump announced new restrictions on the H-1B visa program, a move that has stirred concern among India’s tech industry and government.
According to a person familiar with the talks, as per Bloomberg, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his team plan to bring up the movement of skilled professionals, particularly IT workers during the ongoing trade negotiations in Washington. The individual requested anonymity given the sensitive nature of the discussions.
Until now, the trade discussions have largely focused on market access for goods. But with President Trump’s recent move to tighten immigration rules, New Delhi is pressing to expand the agenda to cover services, including the technology sector. Services account for more than half of India’s economy, making it a critical area in the negotiations.
READ: India feels the heat as US announces H-1B visa fee hike (
The White House decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions is expected to fall hardest on Indian nationals, who account for the majority of recipients. Analysts warn the policy could disrupt India’s $280 billion technology services sector, raising concerns about potential job losses and ripple effects across global supply chains.
The new visa restrictions add to trade frictions already straining the relationship. Earlier, the Trump administration imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian exports, with a significant portion aimed at pressuring New Delhi over its continued purchases of Russian oil. Indian officials, however, have maintained that they will keep sourcing energy from Moscow as long as the price remains favorable.
Goyal is in Washington this week in an effort to break the deadlock and push for a bilateral trade agreement by the fall, as both governments had initially targeted. The original framework envisioned a phased approach, starting with goods and leaving services to be addressed in subsequent rounds.
The movement of skilled professionals is central to the country’s services sector, which has become a key driver of trade. Government figures show services exports climbed more than 12 percent in fiscal year 2024–25 to $383.5 billion, making up nearly half of India’s overall trade in goods and services.
READ: Elon Musk silent on H-1B fee; Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, OpenAI’s Sam Altman react (
The outlook for a trade agreement between Washington and New Delhi has grown more uncertain amid the new visa restrictions and President Trump’s insistence that India curb its purchases of Russian oil. In an interview, Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged India as a key partner but said the added tariffs were intended to signal U.S. displeasure with New Delhi’s ongoing energy ties to Moscow, part of the administration’s wider push to isolate Russia.
“We had meetings with them again yesterday, and it has to do with their purchase of Russian oil,” he added in the interview with Good Morning America on Tuesday.
Talks between Washington and New Delhi picked up again last week after President Trump phoned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday. Negotiators characterized the one-day session as “positive.” Meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the partnership between the two nations remains “of critical importance.”