U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has used his visit to India to press for closer energy and trade cooperation, as New Delhi looks for ways to shield its economy from turmoil in the Middle East.
Rubio met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi after beginning his four-day trip in Kolkata. He is also expected to visit Jaipur and Agra, with his schedule including diplomatic talks ahead of a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting involving the U.S., India, Japan, and Australia.
U.S. officials said Rubio extended an invitation for Modi to visit the White House. Modi said the meeting covered “issues related to regional and global peace and security.”
Energy security dominated the talks after the conflict involving Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important routes for oil and gas supplies. India remains heavily dependent on imported energy, making any prolonged instability in the Gulf a serious concern for policymakers in Delhi.
Rubio raised the Middle East situation during the meeting, according to his spokesman.
“[He] emphasised that the United States will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage and affirmed that U.S. energy products have the potential to diversify India’s energy supply,” the U.S. official added.
Before meeting Modi, Rubio said Washington was prepared to sell India “as much energy as they’ll buy.” The proposal could help India reduce some of its exposure to Gulf supply risks while also addressing a trade imbalance that has repeatedly drawn criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, analysts say American energy is unlikely to be a straightforward replacement for supplies from the Gulf. Shipments from the U.S. generally involve longer routes and higher costs, limiting their usefulness during an immediate supply crisis.
“Energy security is going to be the key theme of this visit because the Iran situation is not going to be resolved anytime soon,” Vineet Prakash, associate professor of U.S. studies at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, said.
“The U.S. has already given a waiver to India on buying Russian oil, but Delhi is likely to push for more concessions.”
Rubio’s visit also comes after months of tension over tariffs, trade negotiations, and Washington’s warmer engagement with Pakistan. Delhi remains uneasy over Trump’s repeated claim that he helped settle last year’s brief India-Pakistan conflict, a suggestion India has rejected.
“Any talks around Pakistan are likely to stay behind closed doors when Rubio meets leaders in Delhi,” Prakash added.
For both governments, the visit is a test of whether strategic ties can keep moving forward despite friction over trade, energy, and regional security.