Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Monday, according to Indian media reports.

The meeting, which will take place on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, comes at a time when the two countries are attempting to mend their recently strained relations.

This is the first meeting between these top officials after Washington raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in August, in response to India's continued imports of Russian oil. The meeting comes just days after US President Donald Trump announced a $100,000 (€85,198) fee for H-1B visa applications, in an effort to tighten immigration policy.

Jaishankar and Rubio last met in Washington in July.

Goyal to lead talks on pending trade deal

Meanwhile, India's Trade Minister Piyush Goyal will be in Washington DC on Monday for talks on a long-pending trade deal.

Last week, a US delegation met Indian officials for trade talks, which New Delhi called "positive" and "forward-looking."

News magazine IndiaToday reported that Goyal said ahead of the visit that India, however, would not compromise on its agricultural sector, calling farmer welfare a top priority in any trade dialogue.

Trade talks between the US and India have stalled, primarily over agriculture and dairy. The stalemate pits the US' demand for greater market access against India's need to protect its vast farming population, a key voter base for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi calls for rejection of foreign goods

On Sunday, Modi urged citizens to shun foreign-made goods and embrace local products, reinforcing his call for self-reliance amid strained trade ties with the US.

"A lot of products we use daily are foreign made, we just don't know ... we will have to get rid of them," Modi said in a public address.

His remarks came ahead of his government's slashing of consumption taxes on everyday goods on Monday. The move, which makes a range of key consumer items from soap bars to motorbikes cheaper, is aimed at boosting demand after the steep US tariffs.

New H-1B rules hits Indian tech industry

The Indian ministers' visits come amid the uncertainty that Trump's latest visa rules have created.

On Friday, the US president increased the fee for the H-1B applications from the current $1,700- ~$4,000 to $100,000 for new visas.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the new fee is aimed at getting companies to hire more US citizens.

The visa program, which provides a path for highly skilled workers to lawfully work in the US for a limited period of three years, has primarily benefited Indian tech workers.

According to US government data, last year India accounted for 71% of approved H-1B visas — by far the largest beneficiary.

India-born industry leaders who started out in the US with an H-1B visa include Sundar Pichai (CEO of Alphabet), Satya Nadella (chairman and CEO of Microsoft), Indra Nooyi (former CEO of PepsiCo), and Aravind Srinivas (co-founder of Perplexity AI).

Trump's move caused the shares of Indian tech giants to fall on Monday.

In a statement on Saturday, New Delhi pointed out that "skilled talent mobility and exchanges" have benefited both nations and called on Washington to consider the "humanitarian consequences" of the new policy.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko