US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday said India and the United States are close to reaching a trade agreement, with only a few issues remaining under negotiation, expressing optimism that the deal would provide greater certainty for businesses in both countries.
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Rubio said he could not foresee anything preventing an agreement, although he declined to disclose the remaining points of contention or whether Washington would offer India the competitive tariff advantage it was seeking in an interim trade deal.
"We are very close," Rubio said, adding that only a few items remained under discussion. He said the agreement must benefit both countries and provide businesses with clarity on the rules governing bilateral trade and investment.
"The point of having an agreement is to be able to have certainty so that people know they can invest, people know what the rules are that are going to govern trade and commerce between the two countries," he said.
The top Trump official was responding to concerns about continuity in trade policy and the possibility of repeated tariff revisions, including in the context of the Super 301 provision of retaliatory tariffs. He did not spell out how the proposed agreement would address these concerns but said predictability was one of the principal objectives of the negotiations.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who joined Rubio for the interview, described the bilateral relationship as stronger than ever across several sectors, including trade, information technology, pharmaceuticals and defence.
Gor said bilateral trade had increased from around USD 20 billion 15 years ago to usd 240 billion, arguing that investments by Indian and American companies were creating jobs in both countries.
He cited investments by Indian companies in the US, including multi-billion-dollar facilities being developed by the Essar group, as examples of the economic benefits flowing in both directions. Gor also said American technology companies operating in India complemented employment in the US rather than simply shifting jobs overseas.
H-1B VISA RESTRICTIONS NOT AIMED AT INDIA, SAYS RUBIO
Addressing concerns over higher visa costs and restrictions affecting Indian professionals and students, Rubio defended the Trump administration's immigration policies, saying they were part of a broader reform and were not specifically directed at India.
He acknowledged that the changes affected Indians seeking to work in the US and American businesses seeking to hire them, but said the policies applied to countries across the world.
"The United States has had a broken immigration system," Rubio said, citing unlawful immigration, alleged fraud and abuse in business-related immigration programmes and concerns among American workers about competition for jobs.
He said the administration wanted an immigration system that worked for the US economy and its citizens.
The Secretary argued that concerns over foreign workers taking up highly skilled jobs needed to be addressed as the administration pursued its goal of rebuilding American industry. He maintained that the policy changes were not India-specific, even if their impact was more pronounced in countries whose professionals make extensive use of US work visa programmes.
Gor echoed Rubio's position, saying the changes were not targeted at any individual country and arguing that Washington needed to reset its immigration policies.
He said the principle of "America First" did not mean the US wanted to act alone, adding that Washington expected other countries to understand its decision to prioritise its own national interests.
US WANTS INDIA TO BUY MORE AMERICAN CRUDE
On energy cooperation, Rubio said Washington wanted New Delhi to diversify its sources of energy by purchasing more crude oil from the US and other countries in the West, rather than focusing exclusively on reducing imports from Russia.
Asked about President Donald Trump's decision to allow additional energy flows into the global market, including a temporary waiver of sanctions affecting Russian oil purchases, Rubio said the administration was considering the wider effects of the Russia-Ukraine war and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
He said the temporary measure was intended to increase supplies in the global market at a time when diesel prices were high across the world.
Rubio stressed US foreign policy had to account for the wider global economic consequences of conflicts rather than be viewed through the lens of a single country or crisis.
Rubio argued that India had already been diversifying its energy sources and that greater reliance on a wider range of suppliers would serve its interests.
"It's not so much about buying less Russian oil than it is about buying more US crude or Venezuelan or others from the Western Hemisphere," he said.
He also highlighted India's refining capacity, saying the country could process more crude oil and attract investments to expand its refining infrastructure.
Rubio's visit to a refinery operated by Reliance Industries in Jamnagar in Gujarat, was an opportunity to understand its operations and its potential role in processing more crude from the Western Hemisphere, he said. He also pointed to the company's investment in a facility in Brownsville, Texas, which he said was expected to come online by 2029.
INDIA COULD BE AMONG FIRST COUNTRIES TO GET US SMALL MODULAR REACTORS
The US State Secretary also indicated that India could become one of the first international markets for American small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), following India's decision to open parts of its civil nuclear sector to private participation.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government with passing the SHANTI Bill, which he said enabled private technology and new equipment to enter India's nuclear sector.
Rubio acknowledged that regulatory challenges remained and that the process would take time, given the complexity of nuclear technology and the long-term nature of the partnership.
"India is one of the first places that the United States is looking at possibly to have our first SMRs internationally," he said.
He added that discussions had taken place in Washington, New Delhi and Mumbai, where India's nuclear regulatory agency is based and expressed confidence that cooperation would progress.
According to Rubio, the regulatory process was still under way, cautioning that the partnership would take time to develop because of the complexity of the technology and the long-term implications of nuclear cooperation.
'US-PAKISTAN TIES WILL NOT COME AT INDIA'S EXPENSE'
Marco Rubio sought to reassure India that Washington's engagement with Islamabad would not undermine its relationship with New Delhi or its position on counterterrorism.
Asked how the US would ensure that closer ties with Pakistan did not come at the expense of India's fight against terrorism, Rubio said Washington had longstanding relations with both countries and hoped to use its engagement with Pakistan to influence its decisions.
"In no way does the relationship with Pakistan come at the expense of our relationship with India," he said.
Rubio said the US shared India's concerns about terrorism and cited American operations against Islamic State and al-Qaeda, as well as the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, as examples of Washington's counterterrorism efforts.
He also referred to US counterterrorism operations in parts of Africa, arguing that Washington had demonstrated a sustained commitment to combating extremist groups and ideologies that threaten both countries.
Asked about his diplomatic engagement during Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack, Rubio declined to disclose details of his conversations with the Indian and Pakistani leadership.
He said the US was willing to play a constructive role whenever tensions between countries risked escalating into a wider conflict.
The objective, he said, was to prevent war and encourage countries to pursue cooperation in business and commerce.
Rubio added that any diplomatic solution would require both sides to engage and make concessions, while acknowledging that getting the parties to the negotiating table would not, by itself, resolve their differences.
DEFENCE COOPERATION AND QUAD GAIN MOMENTUM
Ambassoder Gor said defence cooperation between India and the US was at an all-time high, pointing to joint military exercises, co-production and the presence of American defence companies in India.
He cited the participation of around 500 US Army personnel in the Yudh Abhyas exercise and the involvement of American F-35 fighter jets in the Tarang Shakti exercise as examples of expanding military engagement.
The envoy added that Tarang Shakti marked the first time F-35 fighter jets had participated in a joint exercise in India and the aircraft were deployed only to countries Washington trusted, presenting their participation as an indication of the depth of the defence partnership.
Gor also named Lockheed Martin and Boeing as American companies involved in India's defence sector, arguing that joint production could create jobs in both countries.
He described India as a valuable partner in the Quad, the grouping comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia.
Rubio said the Quad was increasingly moving beyond diplomatic meetings to practical cooperation, particularly in maritime awareness and supply-chain security.
He added that Washington was working towards a leaders-level meeting, which he expected could take place around December, while seeking further engagement before the end of Trump's term.
He cited efforts to monitor potential threats to undersea cables and said the four countries were working to reduce excessive dependence on any single country for critical goods and technologies.
Rubio said India and the US could develop domestic capabilities in sectors including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals.
Gor, joining the topic, said Washington had invited India to join the Pax Silica initiative, describing New Delhi as a trusted partner in strategic supply chains.
He also said senior US officials, including the attorney general and representatives of American law enforcement agencies, were expected to visit India for discussions on counter-narcotics cooperation.
RUBIO SAYS RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR MUST END DIPLOMATICALLY
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Rubio said a settlement would require diplomacy rather than a military victory.
He described the dispute over the Donbas region as central to the conflict, saying Russia wanted territory that Ukraine was unwilling to surrender because of concerns about sovereignty and long-term security.
Responding to a question about Russian President Vladimir Putin's reported willingness to consider a trilateral meeting involving Russia, the US and Ukraine, Rubio did not outline a specific negotiating framework. Instead, he focused on the territorial dispute over Donbas, describing it as the central obstacle to ending the war.
The question, he said, was whether both sides could agree to an arrangement involving concessions.
"This war is not going to be solved militarily. This war is only going to end diplomatically," Rubio stressed.
He added that Washington was willing to help bring the parties together but acknowledged that negotiations would not guarantee an immediate settlement.
Rubio said the territory at the heart of the dispute accounted for about 11 per cent of the relevant part of Ukraine and that Russia had been unable to take it militarily while Kyiv remained unwilling to surrender it. He said both sides would have to weigh concessions against their respective interests if a settlement was to be reached.
GOR SAYS TRUMP, MODI REMAIN IN REGULAR CONTACT
Ambassador Gor further said Trump and Modi maintained a close relationship and were in regular contact, including through multiple phone calls during the month of the interview.
He described both leaders as focused on delivering results and said their relationship helped advance bilateral cooperation.
"They're, they're dear friends and it works well because of that, because they see eye to eye on moving the ball forward, on getting things done, on delivering. And so he holds the Prime Minister in the highest regard. They've known each other for many years," Gor said.
Rubio, meanwhile, praised Trump's approach to foreign policy, describing him as a leader willing to pursue decisions that traditional politicians might consider difficult or unconventional.
He described Trump as a business-minded and unconventional leader who was willing to pursue ideas that others considered impossible, saying this approach had shaped the administration's foreign policy. Gor similarly predicted that Trump's presidency would be viewed as historically significant.
Asked whether he would contest the 2028 US presidential election, Rubio declined to discuss the possibility, saying his current responsibilities as secretary of state and national security adviser occupied his time and attention.
The interview covered a wide range of issues, but the trade agreement remained one of the most immediate areas of bilateral engagement. Rubio's optimism about the negotiations came with a qualification: the remaining issues still had to be resolved and the final terms had not yet been announced.
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