Trump says US-India trade pact 'pretty close' as Rubio visits

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States and India are "pretty close" to finalizing a trade deal, suggesting it "could be a much different kind of deal" without elaborating, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits India. Rubio, on his second official trip to India, echoed that the nations are "very, very close" to executing an agreement, with only a "small number of items left to wrap up." He met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Mumbai, urging increased energy trade and purchases of American technology. The remarks follow a February framework for an interim trade agreement, with Union Minister Piyush Goyal saying the first tranche is finalized and undergoing legal drafting. Rubio also linked the deal to national security waivers on Russian energy sanctions, which were recently deferred for top purchasers like India.