India and the US are expected to focus on ways to take forward cooperation in key areas ranging from defence and security to technology and critical minerals when external affairs minister S Jaishankar meets secretary of state Marco Rubio in Mumbai on Tuesday against the backdrop of continuing strains in bilateral relations.
Rubio is set to arrive in the financial hub with a large business delegation on Tuesday afternoon after a visit to Uzbekistan. This is his second visit to India since May, when he held bilateral talks with Jaishankar and joined a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi. Rubio is also travelling to India days after President Donald Trump waived provisions of the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA) that authorised punitive tariffs on countries buying Russian oil.
While India has already made its concerns about SRIA – including the potential impact on bilateral ties and the global energy market – known to the US administration, the talks between Jaishankar and Rubio are expected to focus on maintaining the momentum in India-US relations and stepping up cooperation in trade, energy, technology and critical minerals, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
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The two leaders are also expected to discuss regional and global issues, including the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, and their fallout on food, fuel and fertiliser security, the people said. The Indian side has made a proposal for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire that is aimed at ensuring the flow of energy and food supplies and preventing attacks on merchant shipping in the Black Sea.
Potential meetings between the leadership of the two sides on the margins of multilateral events such as the Asean Summit in Manila next month and the G20 Summit in Florida in the US are also expected to figure in the discussions. Jaishankar will also attend a celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the independence of the US as the guest of honour.
Relations between India and the US have been impacted by strains over the past year, largely because of the Trump administration’s trade and tariff policies, as well as its restrictions that impact Indian professionals and its burgeoning relationship with Pakistan. Negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement appear to be stalled, with officials talking about both sides trying to find a landing point for a deal.
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Rubio’s itinerary includes Reliance Industries’ refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat, a key processor of Russian oil that he is expected to visit for a few hours on October 21. Reliance is investing in a massive refinery to be set up in Texas, the first new project of its kind in the US in five decades, and is also a significant purchaser of Venezuelan oil, the sales of which are controlled by the Trump administration.
Ahead of his arrival in India, Rubio acknowledged India’s reliance on Russian energy despite a diversification of sources by noting that “it’s hard to pivot” on oil suppliers, and said that Trump intends to use 60-day period for waivers under the SRIA to analyse what sanctions and tariffs mean to the global economy.
Before Rubio’s visit, US ambassador Sergio Gor’s remarks that the US side expected Jaishankar to be in Mumbai to meet Rubio invited criticism from the Opposition. The external affairs ministry, however, said it has been the practice over the past decade for India to host foreign dignitaries outside Delhi.
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Ahead of Rubio’s arrival, Jaishankar will meet the deputy prime minister and foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, over dinner on Monday night. They are expected to review bilateral cooperation and take forward initiatives in energy, trade, investments, defence, as well as discuss the situation in West Asia.