NEW DELHI, India — U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Friday began his first visit to Mumbai with a stop at the U.S. Consulate, underscoring Washington’s focus on deepening ties with India across trade, security, and technology.
“Excited to kick off my first visit to Mumbai with a visit to our Consulate! Our dedicated team working hard to bolster the US-India partnership,” Gor wrote in a post on X.
Gor formally assumed his role earlier this week after presenting his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 14. Marking the occasion, he said he was committed to advancing the priorities of the Trump administration in India.
“Today, I presented my credentials as US Ambassador to India to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. I am grateful to President Trump for his trust and confidence, and proud to carry forward his Administration’s priorities. Together, we will strengthen our partnership in security, trade, energy, and technology, building the US-India partnership that will define the 21st century,” Gor posted on X on Wednesday.
Gor’s arrival has drawn attention in political and diplomatic circles in India, with several observers viewing his appointment as an opportunity to recalibrate relations between New Delhi and Washington after a period marked by tariff disputes and strategic frictions.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described Gor’s posting as a pivotal moment for resetting bilateral ties, arguing that the new ambassador would need to act as a “chief restructuring officer” rather than a traditional envoy. Writing in an opinion piece in The Indian Express, Tharoor said Gor had set an ambitious tone from the outset.
“Gor kicked off his first day on the right note: ‘No partner is more essential than India,’ he declared, stressing that ‘it is my goal as ambassador to pursue a very ambitious agenda. We will do this as true strategic partners, each bringing strength, respect and leadership to the table’,” Tharoor wrote.
He added that Gor emphasized the importance of managing differences constructively. “Gor spoke pointedly of ‘a relationship anchored at the highest levels. Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences in the end’,” Tharoor noted, describing the 38-year-old envoy as part of a new generation of diplomats focused less on rhetoric and more on transactional outcomes.
According to Tharoor, Gor’s close ties to President Donald Trump give India a rare chance to reset aspects of the relationship strained by tariffs, market access issues, and geopolitical divergences. He characterized Gor’s mission as restructuring the relationship “from punitive measures to persistent partnership,” with direct access to the White House seen as a key advantage.
On his first day in New Delhi, Gor announced India’s inclusion as a full member of Pax Silica, a U.S.-led supply chain partnership focused on advanced technology. India’s earlier exclusion from the initiative had been viewed in New Delhi as a slight, particularly given the country’s growing role in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. The announcement was welcomed by Indian officials as a symbolic gesture of goodwill.
Leaders within the Indian American community also expressed optimism following Gor’s arrival. Jasdip Singh Jessee of Sikhs for Trump said the appointment sent a positive signal at a critical juncture in bilateral relations.
“Sergio Gor taking charge as Ambassador of the United States to India is a very, very positive step,” Jessee said on Wednesday, noting that a prolonged vacancy in the post had created uncertainty.
“There was a vacuum created for a long time at a very crucial time when our relationships were spiralling down,” he said, adding that the new ambassador’s arrival “makes a big difference.”
Jessee pointed to Gor’s proximity to President Trump as an indication of India’s importance in Washington’s foreign policy calculations.
“One thing one should know about Sergio Gor is that he is very close to President Trump,” he said. “President Trump sending his confidant to India shows that India is a very important country in the eyes of President Trump.”
He added that Gor’s early public remarks in India have been encouraging and well received, fueling expectations of renewed momentum in India–U.S. relations. (Source: IANS)
