New Delhi: External affairs minister S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on September 22, noting afterwards that their talks “covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern”, just days after Washington’s H-1B visa fee hike rattled India’s tech sector and drew a guarded response from New Delhi.

In his post on X, Jaishankar stated that both sides had agreed on the importance of “sustained engagement” to move forward on priority areas, and said they would “remain in touch”.

“Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern,” he wrote.

There was no readout from the Ministry of External Affairs on the meeting held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

The US State Department readout said that Rubio had reiterated the fact that "India is a relationship of critical importance to the United States".

It said that Rubio "expressed his appreciation for the Indian government’s continued engagement on a number of issues including trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, and other items related to the bilateral relationship."

It said that Rubio and Jaishankar agreed that the US and India will continue working together to "promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including through the Quad."

Jaishankar also met the US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia and Ambassador Nominee to India Sergio Gor. An official post on X said that "they look forward to further promoting the success of the US-India relationship."

Visa troubles

The meeting came three days after Trump administration announced a sharp hike in costs for H-1B visas, a programme overwhelmingly used by Indian tech professionals. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on September 19 imposing a $100,000 application fee for new H-1B petitions, a measure that was initially described as an annual charge before the White House clarified that it applied only to fresh applications.

In its initial response, New Delhi has warned of possible humanitarian “disruptions” for families and said it was still studying the implications of the measure. Nasscom, the main IT industry association, cautioned that abrupt changes of this kind would unsettle professionals and disrupt projects. The Financial Times has estimated that US companies face a US $ 14 billion annual bill for hiring foreign workers.

The H-1B programme, which allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialised roles, has long been a cornerstone of the India-US economic partnership. More than 70% of current H-1B holders are Indian nationals. 

The visa announcement is only the latest flashpoint in a relationship that has come under visible strain in recent months. Washington has imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on Indian goods, revoked the sanctions waiver that had allowed New Delhi to operate Iran’s Chabahar port. Meanwhile, there are other measures which could further raise concerns in New Delhi, especially with proposals such as the HIRE Act, which seeks to penalise US companies for outsourcing jobs.

At the same time, Trump has sought closer ties with Pakistan, hosting its army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir at the White House earlier this year, a move that has caused unease in Delhi.

Earlier this month, there had been tentative signs of a thaw when Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi with birthday greetings, coinciding with the resumption of trade talks in Delhi. But the imposition of new H-1B visa fee hike and the withdrawal of sanctions waiver for Chabahar port only days later has overshadowed that gesture.

This report, first published at 00.28 am on September 23, 2025, was republished with updates on the White House readout at 8 am on the same day.

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