US Secretary of State Rubio arrives in India for four-day visit

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday for a four-day visit focused on strengthening bilateral ties in trade, energy security, and defense cooperation. After landing in Kolkata, Rubio visited the Missionaries of Charity, the organization founded by Mother Teresa. US Ambassador Sergio Gor wrote on X that “moments like these remind us the U.S.-India partnership rests not only on strong policies, but also on shared values and the spirit of selfless service that transcends borders.” Rubio is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later Saturday and hold talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday.

Agenda and Quad participation

Rubio’s itinerary includes visits to Agra and Jaipur. Before departing, he said: “There’s a lot to work on with India, they’re a great ally and partner. We do a lot of good work with them so this is an important trip.” Gor added that “trade, technology, defense, QUAD, and many other items” are on the agenda. Rubio will participate in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) next week, which includes India, the US, Japan, and Australia. A State Department statement said the secretary would discuss “energy security, trade, and defense cooperation” with Indian officials.

Trade context

In February, India and the US reached a framework for an interim trade agreement to lower tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18%, with half of the reduction tied to India’s purchase of Russian oil—a point of contention given US sanctions on Russia.