US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will begin a three-day visit to India on Tuesday for bilateral talks. Trade, energy security, and strategic cooperation are expected to dominate his meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. His engagements include stops in Mumbai and Jamnagar, focusing heavily on strategic ties, economic investments, and energy cooperation.
Rubio is scheduled to arrive at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 2:15 pm.
What's on the agenda?
According to MEA, he will lay a wreath at the Taj Memorial to honour the 26/11 terror attacks before holding bilateral talks with Jaishankar at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
The two leaders are likely 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.
Later, he will attend the 'Freedom 250 Reception' hosted at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on the evening of October 20.
Also, he will be meeting with prominent business executives and corporate leaders to boost bilateral commercial investments, supply chain integration, and economic cooperation between the US and India.
On Wednesday, Rubio will travel to Jamnagar in Gujarat, where he is expected to visit Reliance Industries' oil refining complex and meet chairman Mukesh Ambani.
The visit comes as Reliance Industries prepares for a planned investment in a Texas oil refinery.
His trip also focuses on engaging with senior Indian government representatives to discuss regional security, Indo-Pacific dynamics, and bilateral strategic ties.
He is expected to engage with Indian business leaders during the visit, including Gautam Adani and Tata Sons chairman N. Chandrasekaran.
Ahead of the India visit, while speaking in Uzbekistan, 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," he said.
He also mentioned the negotiations in Washington over a 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.
He added that India had diversified its energy sources but continued to rely on Russian supplies because shifting to alternatives could not happen overnight.
