The country and the United States are engaging in a day of discussions, raising expectations that paused discussions on a trade deal will shortly restart.
A delegation led by a US trade negotiator is in the capital to engage officials from the Indian economic authority.
India said that the discussion does not signal the beginning of the subsequent phase of talks, describing it as a "conversation" about "working to understand" how an pact can be finalized.
Negotiations on a bilateral agreement had paused after the American leader introduced substantial tariffs on imports, partly as a response for India’s purchase of Russian oil and weapons. The nation has supported its action, citing national energy requirements, and described the tariffs "unjust".
The large levies, along with strong criticism of India by the US President and top aides, have led to a rapid and unexpected deterioration in connections between the friendly countries.
India is a major exporter of goods, including apparel, shrimp and gems and jewellery to the US, and the tariffs have already impacted production and livelihoods.
So the day’s discussions between Indian and US officials is being attentively observed.
"This does not represent an formal session of talks but it will definitely be a conversation on the negotiations and on working to understand how we can finalize an agreement between the two nations," the head of the Indian delegation told domestic press.
A round of talks was called off last month following the levy introduction and India's refusal to stop buying energy from Russia.
But over the recent period, hopes have grown – US administration officials have come across as more conciliatory, and India has confirmed that the discussions are still ongoing.
On Monday, a US trade adviser stated: "The nation is coming to the table. We will observe how this unfolds."
In a recent social media exchange between the American leader and the Indian Prime Minister, the US leader said that the nations were "moving forward with discussions to resolve the hurdles" between them. Replying, the Indian leader shared the hopeful tone and said the two countries were "strong allies and logical companions."
A potential appointee for the next United States representative to India also remarked that the trade deal "will get resolved in the near future".
"We are not that far apart right now on the pact. In fact, they're discussing the nitty-gritty of the deal," he said during a confirmation hearing last week.
But it still remains to be seen how the governments resolve major differences that had earlier blocked a trade deal from materializing.
Agriculture and dairy, in especially, are key sticking points.
For years, Washington has demanded expanded market reach to Indian farming, seeing it as a substantial unexplored market. But The nation has vigorously safeguarded it, citing domestic sustenance, livelihoods and the concerns of millions of local agriculturists.
Last week, a US Commerce Secretary repeated his earlier concerns of India's rigorous defenses, asking why a country of over a billion citizens wouldn't "acquire one unit of US corn".
But Indian experts have contended that the nation shouldn't yield to pressure to expand its farming industry, keeping independent policy and sustenance needs in mind.
