New Delhi: In an unusually grand ceremonial debut, America’s new ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, made no firm commitment to a presidential visit this year and pushed for progress on stalled trade negotiations, saying he hoped Donald Trump would travel to New Delhi “in the next year or two” while insisting both sides were “determined to get there” on a deal.The vague timeline raises question mark on expectations that India would host a Quad leaders’ summit later this year. India had been scheduled to host the summit after President Joe Biden convened the last gathering in 2024, but no meeting materialised in 2025, leaving a conspicuous gap in the four-nation grouping’s calendar. Gor’s noncommittal phrasing suggests the forum may be sliding down Washington’s priority list as Trump pursues a potential trade deal with China. Even when Australian and Japanese prime ministers met Trump, Quad coordination was missing from the talking points. The development comes at a moment when the Quad faces questions about its strategic relevance. Trump’s transactional diplomacy has favoured one-on-one deals over multilateral frameworks, and his administration has yet to signal when or whether it will hold the summit format that Biden had championed as a counterweight to Beijing’s regional ambitions.Quad officials, however, say engagement remains steady, noting that two meetings of Quad foreign ministers have already taken place, with another expected soon, alongside frequent senior officials’ consultations and a full schedule of technical level discussions.Gor’s remarks capped a ceremony that broke with Indian diplomatic protocol and American ambassadorial tradition alike. Under Indian convention, a foreign envoy who has not yet presented credentials to the president remains an “ambassador-designate” and typically refrains from public appearances. Gor’s credentials ceremony is expected later this week. Yet, shortly after his motorcade rolled through the embassy gates at 12:04 pm, threading past the sprawling roundabout to halt at the marble steps where US Marines stood at attention, the 39-year-old Trump loyalist strode up to the opening bars of Sam & Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” and delivered an eight-minute address.The entire mission staff appeared to have been assembled on the sunlit terrace in front of Roosevelt House. The ambassador’s official residence is currently under renovation. Cameras captured Gor under the US government’s gilt seal as he spoke from a podium framed by oversized American flags hung in front of the facade. At speech’s end, the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” blared from the sound system. The song is a MAGA rally staple and underscored the event’s unmistakably Trumpian choreography.No previous US ambassador to India has, in recent memory, staged such a public first day rollout.Gor leaned heavily on personal rapport, name-checking Trump eight times and emphasising the president’s “great friendship” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I spoke with President Trump just yesterday, and I bring his warm wishes to all the people of India, especially his dear friend, the incredible Prime Minister, His Excellency Prime Minister Modi,” Gor said.But when it came to a potential presidential visit, he offered only a vague hope. “I also hope that the President will be visiting us soon, hopefully in the next year or two,” Gor said, providing no firmer commitment on a trip that many had expected would anchor a Quad summit in India this year.He shared that over a New Year’s dinner, Trump “recounted his incredible experience visiting here and also his great friendship with the great Prime Minister of India, Prime Minister Modi.” The reference appeared to be to Trump’s February 2020 “Namaste Trump” rally in Ahmedabad that drew over 100,000 people.Gor told the audience that during their dinner, the president had asked him about staying in touch. He joked that Trump’s habit of calling aides at 2:00 am might “actually work out pretty well” with New Delhi’s time zone.“The President outworked all of us at the White House, and I hope that we’ll be able to keep up with his pace and his expectations,” Gor said.He underlined the personal bond repeatedly, even when obliquely referring to current tensions in bilateral ties. “Real friends can disagree but always resolve their differences in the end,” he said.Beyond the Quad non-answer, Gor offered cautious optimism on the stalled India-US trade negotiations. He revealed that the “next call on trade will occur tomorrow” and insisted both sides “continue to actively engage.” “Remember, India is the world’s largest nation, so it’s not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there,” Gor said.The declaration takes on added significance after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s remarks to a podcast show that India had missed the window for securing a priority trade deal in mid-2025 as Modi was reluctant to dial Trump’s number. The Ministry of External Affairs had pushed back sharply against Lutnick’s characterisation, insisting negotiations remained active and dismissing any talk of lost opportunities.Gor invoked Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent declaration that 2026 will be “a year of reciprocity”, adding, “That means fair trade, mutual respect, and shared security.”The talks remain mired in disputes over agriculture, dairy access and India’s Russian oil imports even as both sides eye USD 500 billion in bilateral trade. Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods since August 2025, which is the highest rate slapped on any country.The bilateral relationship has been further complicated by Trump’s repeated claims that he averted nuclear war during Operation Sindoor in May 2025 by threatening 200-250% tariffs on both India and Pakistan unless they stopped hostilities. New Delhi has asserted that the ceasefire stemmed from direct DGMO talks after a Pakistani request, with no third-party mediation.Gor acknowledged the trade friction but framed it optimistically. “While trade is very important for our relationship, we will continue to work closely together on other very important areas such as security, counterterrorism, energy, technology, education, and health,” he said.In the speech’s only concrete policy announcement, Gor unveiled India’s invitation to join Pax Silica, a US-led initiative launched last month to build a “secure, prosperous, and innovation-driven silicon supply chain” spanning critical minerals, semiconductors, AI and logistics. Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Israel signed on in December. India will be invited as a full member next month, Gor said.“As the world adopts new technology, it is essential that India and the United States work hand-in-hand from the very start of this initiative,” he said.The rest of the address brimmed with praise for India. Gor called India “the world’s largest democracy” and recounted his 2013 tourist visit to the Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Ranthambore and Punjab. He lauded Indians as “resilient”, “innovative” and “spiritual.”“You and I have an incredible once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redefine diplomacy,” he told embassy staff. “What it can accomplish could be the most consequential global partnership of this century. No partner is more essential than India.”He even borrowed a Trumpian infrastructure reference. After driving past India Gate, Gor said, he told the president that New Delhi’s triumphal arch “might even surpass” Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, which Trump hopes to replicate in Washington as part of his plans to redecorate the capital.Gor arrives after the post sat vacant for nearly a year following Eric Garcetti’s departure following Trump’s November 2024 victory. An interim chargé d’affaires managed the embassy through Trump’s second inauguration.Born Sergey Gorokhovsky in Soviet-era Uzbekistan, Gor built his career on publishing Trump’s books, running a pro-Trump super PAC, and most recently directing the White House Presidential Personnel Office, where he vetted thousands of appointees for the administration. He was named as US ambassador last August, seven months into Trump’s presidency.Trump bundled the ambassadorship with a special-envoy role for South and Central Asia, supervising 13 countries in the region. US officials pitched the dual-hat arrangement as proof of direct Oval Office access, but it has left New Delhi uneasy about being re-hyphenated with Pakistan.Gor had visited India in October before his Senate confirmation, meeting with Prime Minister Modi and external affairs minister S. Jaishankar. During that visit, he had described the relationship as having “incredible opportunities” and emphasised the potential for deepening ties across multiple sectors.