Rubio to visit Mumbai, Jamnagar as India-US energy ties take centre stage

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India next week as Washington seeks to strengthen energy cooperation, strategic ties and commercial engagement with New Delhi amid ongoing differences over trade and Russian oil purchases. Rubio will travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar as part of his October 17-22 tour covering Uzbekistan and India, the US State Department announced on Tuesday. This will mark his second official visit to India this year, following his participation in the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi in May. During his visit, Rubio will hold discussions with senior Indian officials on bilateral relations and key international developments. "He will meet with senior government officials to strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global dynamics, and discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation," the State Department said. He will also engage with business leaders to explore opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation. Energy cooperation in focus amid trade differences Rubio's visit comes at a sensitive juncture in India-US relations, with the two countries facing differences over tariffs, energy purchases and negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement. Talks on the proposed trade deal have encountered fresh delays, while New Delhi has expressed concerns over proposed US legislation that could empower President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian energy. Washington has been seeking to increase economic pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine. Although India temporarily reduced Russian energy imports earlier this year, purchases subsequently increased amid disruptions to global supplies linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran. Rubio's scheduled stop in Jamnagar is particularly significant given the city's role in India's energy sector. It houses Reliance Industries' refinery complex, the world's largest single-site refining facility, with a crude processing capacity of around 1.4 million barrels per day. The visit also follows Trump's announcement in March regarding plans to build a new refinery in Brownsville, Texas, with investment from Reliance Industries. Visit follows turbulent year in bilateral relations Beyond energy and trade, Rubio's visit comes against the backdrop of diplomatic friction between New Delhi and Washington, including Trump's repeated claims that he helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Tensions were further compounded by an attack on a vessel off Oman that killed three Indian seafarers and drew criticism from New Delhi. The upcoming engagements are expected to provide both sides an opportunity to address outstanding differences while exploring areas of mutual economic and strategic interest. Uzbekistan visit before India Before arriving in India, Rubio will attend the C5+1 Ministerial meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, bringing together the United States and five Central Asian nations: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The discussions will focus on strengthening regional cooperation, economic engagement and shared strategic interests. Rubio will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from the participating countries and lead a US commercial delegation comprising more than 200 business leaders to explore investment opportunities in the resource-rich region. The visit follows Trump's meeting with the leaders of the five Central Asian countries at the White House last November.