Rubio India visit: Bilateral with Jaishankar, Jamnagar refinery tour & trade deal – whats on agenda | India News
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will begin a three-day visit to India on Tuesday, with talks on a proposed bilateral trade deal, energy security and strategic cooperation expected to feature prominently during his meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other engagements in Mumbai and Gujarat’s Jamnagar.Rubio is scheduled to arrive at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 2.15 pm on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He will lay a wreath at the Taj memorial to honour the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks before holding bilateral talks with Jaishankar at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel.The two leaders are expected to discuss the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including energy, trade and investment, defence, critical and emerging technologies, and the situation in West Asia. Rubio will later attend the “Freedom 250 Reception” at the Jio World Convention Centre to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence. Jaishankar will be the guest of honour.
Trade deal and energy security in focus
The visit comes as both countries seek to advance negotiations on a proposed trade agreement amid friction over tariffs, energy imports and immigration policies.Speaking in Uzbekistan ahead of his India visit, Rubio said the two sides were close to finalising the agreement.“We’re trying to finalise a trade deal with India right now. We’re very close to doing that.”Rubio also linked the negotiations to Washington’s decision to grant a temporary waiver on certain sanctions related to Russian energy purchases. He said India’s energy requirements and its importance as a US partner were among the factors being considered.“These sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries—India, for example, and others. And so I think the president wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyse what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the U.S. economy,” Rubio said.He added that India had diversified its energy sources but continued to rely on Russian supplies because shifting to alternatives could not happen overnight.“You’ve got countries like India, for example, that have voluntarily diversified their energy portfolio, but are still getting a substantial amount of energy from Russia because it’s hard to pivot from one day to the next. But they’re also an important ally and partner of the United States. So we need that period of time to sort of study all this and figure out what the right combination is,” he added.India and the US have been negotiating the proposed trade pact since early 2025, seeking to address tariff disputes, reduce non-tariff barriers and improve market access. Jaishankar recently said the negotiations were nearing a “landing point”.
Jamnagar visit and meeting with Ambani
Rubio will travel to Jamnagar in Gujarat on Wednesday, where he is expected to visit Reliance Industries’ oil refining complex and meet chairman Mukesh Ambani before returning to Mumbai. The Jamnagar leg of the visit is expected to last around nine hours.The visit comes as Reliance Industries prepares for a planned investment in a Texas oil refinery, bringing energy cooperation and private-sector investment into focus. Officials have not confirmed reports that Rubio may also visit the Vantara animal rehabilitation centre in Jamnagar.Rubio is also expected to engage with Indian business leaders during his visit, although meetings with industrialists Gautam Adani and Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran have not been officially confirmed.
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Visit comes amid strains in bilateral ties
Rubio’s trip is his second visit to India this year, following his May visit, when he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jaishankar and attended a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting.Bilateral relations have faced strains following US tariffs on Indian goods, disagreements over Washington’s claims about its role in de-escalating the India-Pakistan military conflict in May 2025, and changes to US immigration policies, including higher H-1B visa fees.The two sides are also expected to exchange views on the West Asia crisis and regional stability. Rubio’s visit follows his meetings with Central Asian foreign ministers in Uzbekistan, where he promoted US trade, security and investment ties with the region.
