India, Sept. 19 -- India and the US have agreed to intensify efforts for the early conclusion of a mutually beneficial trade agreement at a recent meeting of senior officials from both sides, the external affairs ministry said on Friday, against the backdrop of efforts to repair bilateral ties hit by US President Donald Trump's punitive tariffs.

Discussions between an American team led by assistant US trade representative Brenden Lynch and Indian interlocutors in New Delhi this week were "positive and forward-looking", external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

The meeting between Lynch and India's chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal marked the resumption of talks for a bilateral trade agreement after a hiatus of almost tw...