US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Mumbai and Jamnagar from October 17 to 22 to strengthen bilateral ties and explore opportunities for greater energy cooperation, the US Department of State said on Tuesday.
India will be the second stop on Rubio's trip, following his visit to Samarkand in Uzbekistan, where he will attend a ministerial meeting with Central Asian countries.
This will be Rubio's second visit to India since May, when he attended the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi.
Rubio to meet Indian officials, business leaders
During his India visit, Rubio will meet senior government officials to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries and discuss regional and global 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.
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Rubio will also hold meetings with business leaders to explore opportunities for investment and closer economic ties between India and the US.
Rubio to visit Jamnagar
Rubio's planned visit to Jamnagar is significant because the city in Gujarat houses Reliance Industries' refinery, the world's largest single-site refining complex. The facility has the capacity to process 1.4 million barrels of crude oil per day.
In March, US President Donald Trump announced plans to build the country's first new oil refinery in 50 years, with investment from Reliance Industries. Trump said the proposed refinery would be built in Brownsville, Texas, at a cost of $300 billion.
Rubio's visit comes as energy cooperation remains an important part of the broader economic relationship between India and the US.
Rubio to attend C5+1 Ministerial in Uzbekistan
Before travelling to India, Rubio will visit Samarkand to participate in the C5+1 Ministerial, a diplomatic platform that brings together the US and five Central Asian countries.
The State Department said Rubio would highlight how strategic cooperation through the platform promotes "a more peaceful and prosperous future for the United States and the countries of Central Asia".
He will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.
A US commercial delegation comprising more than 200 business leaders will accompany Rubio during the Uzbekistan visit. The State Department said the delegation would help usher in "a new era of strengthened commercial cooperation for the United States and Central Asia".
US Ambassador highlights growing India-US cooperation
This comes amid remarks by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday, when he highlighted growing cooperation between New Delhi and Washington in defence, information technology and healthcare.
Speaking at an event in Kolkata to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, Gor described India as an important US partner and highlighted the city's role in bilateral engagement.
On defence cooperation, he referred to recent military exercises involving the two countries and the participation of American defence platforms in activities in India. "If you look at defence, in the last two weeks alone, we have conducted exercises involving more than 500 troops at Tarang Shakti. We also had F-35s in Rajasthan for the first time," he said.
Gor also pointed to growing business ties, with companies from both countries investing in each other's markets and setting up production facilities.
"In terms of IT development, incredible things are happening in both directions, with investments in the United States and some of our companies opening large production facilities here in India. It is an incredible opportunity," he said.
On healthcare, the ambassador highlighted India's role as a supplier of generic medicines to the US, saying the imports reflected confidence in the country's pharmaceutical industry.
"In healthcare, we import a significant amount of our generic pharmaceuticals from India. This is because we trust India. There is a lot happening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump spoke just last week, so stay tuned for what comes next," he said.