What happened:
On January 19, 2026, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) hosted US Senator Steve Daines in New Delhi for a closed-door roundtable, focusing on advancing US–India economic and strategic cooperation. Senator Daines also met EAM S. Jaishankar and senior Indian officials during his visit.
Why it matters to India:
The engagement underscores continued high-level political support in Washington for stronger India–US ties, especially amid ongoing discussions on trade, technology, defence and strategic cooperation, despite current frictions over tariffs and trade negotiations.