The outcome of the meeting could determine whether India faces harsher US tariffs on key imports, including Russian oil.

But experts say India's refusal to reduce duties on agriculture and dairy products has been a major thorn in the negotiations. Trump's new 50% tariff rate on India is set to come into effect on 27 August, which some experts have said is akin to an embargo on trade between the two countries.

Indian refiners, the top importers of Russian crude oil, are searching for alternative suppliers ahead of Friday’s summit between President Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer,