Washington, Nov 26 (NationPress) India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, engaged in an extensive discussion about the India-US bilateral economic engagement agenda with Jacob Helberg, the 22nd Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs.

"I congratulated US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg on taking up his new responsibilities. We discussed various aspects of our bilateral economic engagement agenda, including a mutually advantageous trade deal, strategic trade dialogue, and technology cooperation focusing on AI," Kwatra shared on X on Wednesday, India time.

Helberg, who took on his role in mid-October, previously worked as an Advisor to the Council of Economic Advisors at the White House. He founded The Hill and Valley Forum, a bipartisan group comprised of Silicon Valley executives and US lawmakers, aimed at closing the knowledge gap between Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill.

According to a statement from the US Department of State, he has collaborated with Congressional leaders to raise awareness about national security threats posed by China. Helberg has also served as Senior Advisor to the CEO of Palantir Technologies and is an early investor in numerous rapidly growing tech firms. From 2022 to 2024, he was a Commissioner on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, where he advocated for tariffs and industrial autonomy from China.

Helberg’s prior roles include being Google’s global lead for Search policy and a founding member of GeoQuant.

On November 24, Ambassador Kwatra met with US Representative Jay Obernolte, emphasizing the potential for bilateral collaboration in science, technology, innovation, and AI.

"I enjoyed my discussion with Rep. Jay Obernolte, Chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Research and Technology Subcommittee. We highlighted the opportunities for enhancing US-India cooperation in science, technology, AI, and innovation," Kwatra remarked in a post on X.

Last week, Kwatra also engaged with US Senator John Barrasso to underline key factors driving the strategic partnership between India and the US.

"I was honored to meet with Senator John Barrasso, Majority Whip and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We discussed significant aspects of the India-US strategic partnership, including our efforts to establish a balanced and mutually beneficial trade agreement, enhance oil and gas trade, and cooperate in defense and security matters," he wrote on X.

Earlier in October, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal expressed optimism about both nations moving towards a fair and equitable trade agreement soon.

"We are currently in discussions with the United States of America. Our teams are actively engaged. The Commerce Secretary recently visited the US and met with his counterparts. We are making progress in dialogues and hope to reach a fair and equitable agreement in the near future," Goyal stated.