New Delhi, Dec. 10 -- US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer told the American Senate on Tuesday that India has put forward the "best offer the US has ever received", as his deputy Rick Switzer met commerce secretary Rajesh Agarwal to advance negotiations on a free trade agreement.

Switzer will hold discussions on Thursday as well for a proposed bilateral trade agreement, even as Greer described New Delhi as a "very difficult nut to crack" on market access for American farm products.

Both sides aim to close the deal by the end of this month, with the first tranche likely to focus on tariffs, as announced by Agarwal on 28 November.

Briefing the Senate Appropriations Committee on the status of negotiations, Greer said that the US ...