New Delhi, July 10 -- New Delhi: With the deadline for finalizing the first tranche of the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) now moved to 31 July, the commerce ministry is preparing to dispatch a delegation of senior officials to Washington DC in a bid to close the remaining gaps with their American counterparts, two government officials said.

According to the first official, the Indian team-comprising over a dozen representatives from various departments-is expected to leave either this Saturday or early next week. The official dates are yet to be announced.

The visit is expected to mark the final full-fledged round of negotiations, setting the stage for a potential announcement of the deal ahead of the revised deadline. The tea...