My first tweet. Thank you all for the best wishes! Honoured to be given this responsibility. Proud to follow on t… https://t.co/NuJSJG8ARb — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) 1559365108000

NEW DELHI: With S Jaishankar taking charge as the new external affairs minister on Friday, it has become clear that it will be all systems go for the Modi government. With PM Narendra Modi empowering Jaishankar with his appointment, the new minister is expected to cut through government flab in taking bigger decisions.The first task on Jaishankar’s plate is to bring the US-India relationship back on track . Modi is deeply invested in this relationship but in the past few months, while the Indian government was in election mode, this has tanked. In the past 24 hours, senior US officials have said that the withdrawal of GSP trade preferences for India was a “done deal”. They had resisted finalising it, waiting for the Indian elections to be done. But that has already happened and is expected to be announced in a day.Modi wants a possible roadmap for resolution by the time he meets US President Donald Trump at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, later this month. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is expected to meet Jaishankar when he drops by New Delhi en route to Osaka on June 26. In the interim, officials from different ministries will be brought together to work out a negotiating plan.Jaishankar will be aided by Hardeep Puri who has been given additional charge of MoS in the commerce ministry. A veteran at trade negotiations, Puri is expected to do some of the heavy lifting on the US front.The second will be a focus on the neighbourhood as Modi will be making his first trip in the region. He will be in Maldives on June 8 and in Sri Lanka on June 9. These visits will be significant because they will be used to signal a renewed focus in the Indian Ocean Region and India’s immediate neighbourhood.Maldives did not get a visit in the first Modi government, this time it will be a very different message. Not only is Maldives a close South Asian neighbour, the fact that a Muslim country is Modi’s first destination will not be lost. Also, Modi’s visit will be used to send a message to China that India will seek to be the primary power in its near abroad.Lastly, Modi’s upcoming visit to the SCO summit and a possible meeting with Pakistani PM Imran Khan will be treated as important. Post Balakot, the Indian stand on Pakistan will be keenly watched. This will also demonstrate how Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval team up to deal with challenges that intersect foreign and security policies. The two, contrary to popular belief, had established a close working relationship during the first term.But it’s progress with the US that will be a key part of Jaishankar’s immediate workload. A growing trade dispute has ballooned. After numerous rounds of discussions between Indian and US officials, there is no meeting point. India says it has offered a “very good” package to the US in the past few months. India offered to simplify the certification procedure for dairy imports (the US gives animal feed to its cows which is unacceptable to Indians). India agreed to grant market access to alfalfa hay, cherries and pork. On the thorny issue of medical devices, India agreed to a “trade margin approach” but requested the US to wait until after the elections. New Delhi offered what is called a “mutual recognition agreement” on telecom testing.It cut no ice with the USTR. US officials said on condition of anonymity that while the oral discussions were “positive, the written offer by the Indian side was far away from what had been discussed”. In recent weeks, apart from all the old issues, the US side has tacked on its opposition to India’s data localisation and e-commerce policies in the mix, making a resolution that much more difficult. According to US and Indian officials involved in the discussions, any deal now needs a political push. Jaishankar is expected to use his political heft in the coming days.