The stakes are high, with the United States and India counting on each other as indispensable partners in their competition with China.

India's chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal and Brendan Lynch, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia met in Washington for the fifth round of talks, after which Agrawal returned to New Delhi.

President Trump seeks to speak with PM Modi before finalizing India-U.S. trade agreement, awaiting approval for over a week.