India, March 3 -- Commerce minister Piyush Goyal made a sudden departure for the United States on Monday, reportedly to hold urgent trade discussions, just weeks before President Donald Trump's planned reciprocal tariffs are set to take effect.

The unexpected visit follows the cancellation of previously scheduled meetings, with Piyush Goyal's itinerary now clear until March 8, according to government sources cited in a Bloomberg report.

The Minister of Commerce and Industry, which Piyush Goyal heads, did not immediately comment on the trip, which comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington DC. During that visit, India and the US pledged to the first phase of a trade agreement aimed at reaching $500 billion in bi...