United States' Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Mumbai and Jamnagar in October after finishing his trip to Uzbekistan. This would be his second official visit to India this year after he came for four-day visit in May.
During the visit, Rubio will meet with senior government officials to strengthen the strategic partnership between India and the US and also exchange views on regional and global dynamics, according to the US state department.
He will also discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation with Indian officials during his visit.
“Secretary Rubio will also meet with business leaders to promote opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation,” the state department said.
Before coming to India, Rubio will visit Uzbekistan and participate in the C5+1 Ministerial. There, he will hold bilateral engagements with senior officials from all C5 countries – Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Kyrgyz Republic.
During his diplomatic visit to India in May, Rubio went to Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi. He focused on strengthening strategic ties, boosting cooperation under the Quad alliance, and advancing discussions on trade, defence and energy security.
US security council to visit India
Ahead of Rubio’s visit to India next week, a delegation of top officials from the US National Security Council is also expected to arrive in the country to lay the groundwork for a rejuvenation of the bilateral advanced technology partnership. According to people aware of the matter, the US delegation and its Indian counterparts will focus their efforts on the TRUST initiative, which was launched in February 2025 to drive cooperation on semiconductors, artificial intelligence, space, biotechnology and other crucial tech sectors.
Montana Governor on India trip backlash
Rubio's second official visit to India comes days after Montana Governor Greg Gianforte visited the country and drew a wave of online abuse amid a broader rise in anti-Indian sentiment in the US.
Gianforte brushed off the backlash and said the visit had made significant progress despite the noise during an interview with HT. “We were there for one purpose, and that's to further Montana's interests in a way that benefits both Indian India, Montana and the US. The benefits are very clear. When we work together, we get groundbreaking research. We get jobs in Montana. We feed and provide protein to India. So everybody benefits. And frankly, in today's environment, you can't do anything without getting a little bit of pushback,” Gianforte told HT.
(With inputs from Shashank Mattoo)