US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will begin a five-day visit to India on Saturday, with energy cooperation, strategic ties and commercial investment expected to feature in talks with Indian officials and business leaders.
Rubio will visit Mumbai and Jamnagar from October 17 to 22 as part of a trip that also includes Uzbekistan, the US State Department said on Tuesday. This will be his second official visit to India this year.
In India, Rubio will meet 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 department said.
He will also meet business leaders “to promote opportunities for commercial investment and economic
cooperation,” the department’s statement said.
Energy Cooperation In Focus
Rubio’s visit comes amid differences between New Delhi and Washington over trade and energy ties. Negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement have faced fresh delays, with officials from both countries indicating earlier this month that efforts to finalise the deal had stalled again.
India has also raised concerns over proposed US legislation that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian energy. Washington has sought to pressure Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
India briefly reduced its purchases of Russian energy in early 2026, but imports have since increased, particularly following disruptions to global energy supplies linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Trade And Strategic Ties
Rubio’s visit comes after a turbulent year in US-India relations, marked by disagreements over tariffs, energy purchases and Trump’s repeated claim that he helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
The US also faced criticism from New Delhi following a military attack on a vessel off Oman that killed three Indian seafarers.
Rubio last visited India in May, travelling to four cities over four days. His latest trip is expected to provide an opportunity to discuss shared regional and global concerns alongside economic cooperation.
Uzbekistan Visit With Business Delegation
Before travelling to India, Rubio will visit Samarkand in Uzbekistan for a ministerial meeting involving five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
He will lead a delegation of more than 200 US business leaders, the State Department said, calling the trip as an opportunity to strengthen commercial cooperation with the resource-rich region.
The visit follows Trump’s meeting with the leaders of the five Central Asian nations at the White House last November.
(With inputs from agencies)
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