New Delhi, July 22 -- The India-US trade deal talks have entered the final stretch, with a senior US official asserting that an agreement could be signed within the next three to four months.

Washington and New Delhi have been working on a trade deal to cut trade barriers and open more business opportunities for companies in both countries.

"The deal... is there. We literally have the paper," the official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The only major step remaining, the official said, is for Washington to complete its Section 301 trade investigations, which examine alleged unfair trade practices and can lead to tariffs or other retaliatory measures.

The official said one Section 301 probe covering 60 countries was expected to...