New Delhi, Feb. 3 -- "India's agricultural sensitivities have been fully protected" in the India-US trade deal, which will reduce American tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, a senior government official told ANI on Tuesday.

The official's remarks have come amid speculation about agricultural market access concessions that India may have offered to secure the tariff reduction.

The government has adopted an approach to agricultural imports that ensures protection for sensitive farm products while maintaining consistency with India's established Free Trade Agreement (FTA) template.

Only the least sensitive agricultural products--those India routinely offers to all FTA partners, including in the UK FTA--will receive immediate zero-duty access...