U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held high-level discussions with India’s foreign minister in Mumbai on Tuesday, as both governments move closer to finalizing a bilateral trade agreement and expanding cooperation in energy, technology, and defense.
Speaking to reporters following the talks, Rubio expressed strong optimism about the status of ongoing trade negotiations, which have faced months of delays due to disputes over American tariffs and New Delhi’s continued purchases of discounted Russian crude oil.
“We’re very, very close. I would say we’re about as close as you can be without having executed the agreement,” Rubio said on Tuesday. He added that only a small number of items remain to be resolved, expressing confidence that the deal will be wrapped up shortly.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar confirmed that the two sides reviewed multiple facets of the bilateral relationship, including economic ties, energy security, advanced technology, and defense partnerships, alongside broader regional developments. Jaishankar and Rubio were also joined by United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for a trilateral meeting. Rubio noted that the three-way discussions focused on regional energy security and advancing shared economic priorities.
The diplomatic push comes against the backdrop of strained trade ties. Washington imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on most Indian goods in August 2025 after previous negotiations collapsed. Although a framework agreement in February reduced the tariff rate to 18 percent, subsequent talks experienced further hurdles. Earlier this month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman remarked that negotiations had plateaued, though Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated last week that the initial tranche of a trade pact was in its final stages. India maintains that its final tariff rate should align with those applied to competing manufacturing nations like Vietnam.
Energy policy remains another central friction point. India’s acquisition of discounted Russian oil since the onset of the war in Ukraine in February 2022 has periodically tested relations with Washington. However, the Indian government has maintained that it is expanding overall energy imports—including from the United States—while diversifying its suppliers to ensure domestic market stability and affordable prices.
Ahead of his departure from the United States on Saturday, Rubio acknowledged the logistical challenges India faces in altering its energy supply chains overnight, while affirming New Delhi’s status as a crucial American ally. Washington views India as a strategic counterweight to China within the Indo-Pacific region.
Rubio’s diplomatic tour also included a stop in Uzbekistan earlier in the week to bolster trade and diplomatic ties across Central Asia. His current trip to India follows a previous visit in May.
As part of his itinerary, Rubio is scheduled to travel on Wednesday to the western state of Gujarat to tour a major refinery in the city of Jamnagar and meet with business leaders, according to the U.S. State Department. The Jamnagar complex, managed by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, stands as the largest refining facility in the world. In March, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Reliance Industries was committing $300 billion to construct a new oil refinery in Brownsville, Texas.
