New Delhi: When Sergio Gor arrived in New Delhi to fill the big shoes of US Ambassador to India, he did it with style.
On a sunny January afternoon, at a time when India-US relations were at their frostiest in decades, the youngest ever American envoy to India drove into the embassy compound in Chanakyapuri in a black BMW with flashing blue and red lights as the 1960s soul classic ‘Hold On I’m Comin’, played in the background. It was true MAGA theatre.
The “Trump whisperer” received a rockstar welcome. “Act like Elvis just walked into the building,” embassy staff were reportedly told. In a move rare for ambassador-designates—when he had yet to present his credentials to the President—Gor addressed a large crowd of staff and media from the steps of the mission.
Jumping right into it, he asserted that he was looking forward to working closely with the Indian government and people “to advance our shared priorities in defence, trade, technology, and critical minerals”. He announced a US invitation to India to join Pax Silica, and firmly declared that real friends might have disagreements, but work together to resolve their differences. He also threw in the promise of a call between the two governments the very next day.
After a 15-minute speech at the embassy steps, flanked on either side by the star-spangled banner, Gor walked off to yet another American classic—Y.M.C.A by the Village People.
The lyrics of his entry song—“Don’t you ever be sad, lean on me when times are bad”—sound almost prophetic, now that 39-year-old Gor has completed a month in office. It seems that so far, both New Delhi and Washington have leaned on him, and a situation that didn’t look too good a month ago, isn’t looking too bad now.
Besides, Gor has that other, rather humongous notch on his belt. The “historic” India-US trade deal, dragging on for months, was announced within less than a month of him taking office.
When he’d arrived, it was a tense time for Washington and New Delhi amid major differences—the sticking points being tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, Russian oil, the India-Pakistan military conflict, and more.
Cut to now. Trump has slashed tariffs and done away with the Russian oil penalty on India. Both he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are again using warm descriptors for each other. And though the amended White House factsheet indicates the trade deal is still a work in progress, things are looking up ties-wise, for now.
Moreover, in the past month, Gor has flitted from a cricket match at Wankhede, to the Gateway of India, from Turkmenistan to Kyrgyzstan. He is not just envoy to India, but also Special Envoy to South and Central Asia.
Just last week, he hosted Union ministers at a big diplomatic reception, where External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal were seen flashing smiles.
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Meetings, cricket & a diplomatic reception
Even before taking over officially, the US ambassador broke a key diplomatic norm, when in October 2025, he called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his short visit to India.
Glad to receive Mr. Sergio Gor, Ambassador-designate of the US to India. I’m confident that his tenure will further strengthen the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.@SergioGor pic.twitter.com/WSzsPxrJXv
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 11, 2025
On 13 January, Jaishankar spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on phone, a call promised by Gor during his big speech outside the embassy the previous day. “Discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy. Agreed to remain in touch on these and other issues,” the Indian external affairs minister wrote in a post on X.
On 14 January, Gor presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu. Days later, he was off to Mumbai, meeting with businesspersons, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He also paid his respects to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks at the Taj hotel.
Since his tenure began, Gor, known to be part of Trump’s inner circle, has at various times invoked the US President’s style when it comes to his social media posts, using lines such as “stay tuned” ahead of major announcements.
By the end of his first week in India, Gor had invited India to be part of the Gaza Board of Peace, hosted a US Senator and prepared for the visit of Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.
Ahead of India’s Republic Day celebrations, a US Congressional delegation visited the country and along with Gor held meetings with Jaishankar, as the ties seemingly picked up after months of silences punctuated by a call or two between Modi and Trump.
Just wrapped a productive meeting with EAM @DrSJaishankar, @RepMikeRogersAL, @RepAdamSmith, and @JimmyPatronis on ways to strengthen U.S.-India partnership for stronger security, expanded trade, and cooperation on critical technologies. https://t.co/kHfdkhBFtn
— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) January 25, 2026
Gor’s first two weeks in office included a visit to Turkmenistan as special envoy. The US ambassador also travelled to Kyrgyzstan in the first week of this month right after the announcement of the trade deal with India.
All of this was ahead of what could be considered a major achievement during his tenure so far— the conclusion of negotiations for the first tranche of the elusive India-US trade deal.
Ahead of Jaishankar’s visit to the US for the critical minerals ministerials, Gor met with the external affairs minister and called on everyone to “stay tuned for more” in his statement on X.
Days later on 2 February, Gor at 9.16 pm announced that Modi and Trump spoke, with another “stay tuned…,” keeping the world waiting in suspense for several minutes. Within the hour, the US President claimed to have arrived at a trade deal that would include India opening up its agricultural sector for animal feed.
President Trump just spoke with Prime Minister Modi. STAY TUNED… pic.twitter.com/IFcxrJj04m
— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 2, 2026
Moments later, Gor posted again saying: “As I have said many times, President Trump genuinely considers Prime Minister Modi a great friend! Thrilled by the news of the trade deal this evening. The relationship between the United States and India has LIMITLESS POTENTIAL!”
Three weeks into the job, Gor had seemingly played a role in bridging the gap between New Delhi and Washington to arrive at the most significant agreement between the two since the 2008 civil nuclear deal.
Barely a week later, Gor was in Mumbai again for India’s opener in the T20 Cricket World Cup against the US. From meeting with ICC chairman Jay Shah, to sitting with the Ambanis in the stadium, each moment posted on social media.
Last week, Gor was also able to bring Union ministers to a major diplomatic reception he hosted.
Hosted a warm reception at home tonight with dear friends from India, the diplomatic community, business leaders and partners from the US. Amid our nations' renewed trade framework and deepening strategic ties, the real magic happens in these personal moments—where trust, ideas,… pic.twitter.com/4PKa5upV70
— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) February 9, 2026
Commerce minister Goyal, in a cheeky mood at the reception, joked to Gor that had the US maybe dropped tariffs to zero percent, its national cricket team may have had a chance to beat India at the Wankhede Stadium the previous week.
From wedding DJ to Trump’s inner circle
Gor had an immigrant beginning, born in 1986 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, then part of the Soviet Union. A few years later, he and his family moved to Malta, and then to Los Angeles. He graduated from George Washington University, where he became a part of College Republicans.
Gor later worked on John McCain’s presidential campaign, and in 2013, he started working for Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. In 2020, he broke into the Trump orbit, made chief of staff of a Trump finance committee. He is also known to be close to Donald Trump Jr., with whom he launched a publishing house. Together, they published several of Trump’s books. Gor also published authors from Trump’s political sphere including Kari Lake, the former Republican senate candidate from Arizona, Jeanine Pirro and White House aide Peter Navarro.
He had by then made deep inroads in Trumpland.
His last appointment before becoming US envoy to India was director of the Presidential Personnel Office. Under his leadership, “thousands of political appointees across the entire federal government were hired in record time”, according to the US embassy website.
He also worked as a DJ, and was nicknamed “mayor of Mar-a-Lago” due to the considerable time he spent there.
A Washington Post report quoted Donald Trump Jr as saying: “I imagine he’s (Gor) had dinner more in the last year with my father than I have.”
The same report also quoted former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz’s description of the US ambassador: “Don’t let the social stuff fool you. He’s ruthlessly efficient.”
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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