She will hold a series of bilateral meetings, civil society events and participate in the India Ideas Summit

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman will pay a two-day visit to India on October 6-7, the US Department of State said in a statement on Monday.

“Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman will be in New Delhi, India on October 6 for a series of bilateral meetings, civil society events, and the India Ideas Summit,” said the US Department of State.

On October 7, she will travel to Mumbai for engagements with business and civil society, it added.

Reconvening the India US Trade Policy Forum and holding the 4th Indo-US 2+2 Dialogue are likely to feature prominently in discussions during the US Deputy Secretary of State’s visit.

The India and the US are looking forward to reconvening the India-US Trade Policy Forum before the end of 2021, the US-India Joint Leader’s statement had said after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden last week in Washington DC.

The India US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) which was set up in 2005 and reconstituted in 2014. India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Office of the US Trade Representative are the nodal agencies of TPF which is primarily designed to work for expanding bilateral trade and investment.

“The two countries would look to enhance the bilateral trade relationship by addressing trade concerns, identifying specific areas for increased engagement and developing an ambitious, shared vision for the future of the trade relationship,” said US-India Joint Leaders' Statement issued after the meeting.

It may be recalled that under the previous US administration, headed by President Donald Trump, the TPF met only once in October 2017 when then US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met India’s then Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu.

Prior to her arrival in India, the US Deputy Secretary Sherman will visit Switzerland, Uzbekistan. After completing her trip to India, she will be travel to Pakistan on October 7-8 to meet with senior officials, the US Department of State said.