New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- India and the US agreed to intensify efforts to quickly reach a mutually-beneficial trade deal, two people aware of the development said, as the two nations acknowledged the enduring importance of trade ties between them.

In a day-long discussions on Tuesday between the American trade team led by chief negotiator Brendan Lynch and Indian officials headed by Rajesh Agarwal, special secretary in the department of commerce, both sides agreed to move the negotiation process from where it had stalled, with the objective of quickly reaching a bilateral trade agreement (BTA).

US president Donald Trump's decision to impose a punitive 25% duty on Indian exports for buying Russian oil, over and above the reciprocal tariff o...