Kerry presses India on trade deal as deadline looms

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who arrived in India on Wednesday for an official visit, has pressed New Delhi to drop its opposition to the global trade treaty, saying it was a test of the country's commitment to advance economic liberalisation.

Kerry made the call in a newspaper article, penned along with US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, published hours ahead of his arrival for talks aimed at revitalising ties mired in disputes over trade, intellectual property rights and climate change.

Kerry said India stood to gain by creating a level playing field instead of erecting trade barriers. "In this regard, as we work with our trading partners around the world, India must decide where it fits in the global trading system. Its commitment to a rules-based trading order and its willingness to fulfil its obligations will be a key indication," he said in the article in The Economic Times.