US Secretary of State Rubio's Mumbai Visit Sparks Indian Political Controversy Amid Strained Relations

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled for a visit to India next week, notably bypassing the capital, New Delhi. Instead, on Monday, Rubio will engage in discussions with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Mumbai, India's financial center. Following this, he is slated to visit an oil refinery in Jamnagar, located in the western state of Gujarat, as confirmed by a statement from the US Department of State. This itinerary has ignited a political firestorm after the US ambassador to India indicated that Washington anticipated Jaishankar would travel to meet Rubio. This led opposition leaders to accuse the government of allowing India's top diplomat to be 'summoned' on Indian soil. This diplomatic friction occurs against a backdrop of strained relations between the two nations, primarily due to trade disputes, tariffs, and India's continued purchases of Russian oil. The article seeks to explain why Rubio is avoiding New Delhi and the reasons behind the significant public outcry.

What is Rubio's Agenda in India?

Rubio's objectives for his visit include discussions on trade, energy, and investment. He is arriving on Sunday from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where he participated in the C5+1 summit with five Central Asian states. In India, senior officials are expected to meet with him to deliberate on the US-India strategic partnership and energy cooperation, in addition to engaging with business leaders, according to the State Department. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, seemingly corroborated this agenda, stating on Friday that the Mumbai talks would encompass energy, trade, investment, defense, and critical and emerging technologies. The visit to Jamnagar includes a tour of the world's largest single-site refinery, operated by Reliance Industries, owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani. Rubio is also scheduled to attend a reception hosted by the Ambani family, as reported by The Hindu newspaper.

A photograph shows Rubio and his wife, Jeanette Rubio, alongside Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who also serves as the US special envoy for South and Central Asia, at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, on May 25, 2026. [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via Reuters]

Why the Avoidance of New Delhi?

No official explanation has been provided for Rubio's decision to skip New Delhi. Rubio was previously in the Indian capital in May for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Quad nations (the US, India, Japan, and Australia). The State Department has emphasized the energy and investment aspects of his current trip, with Jamnagar, the second stop, being a crucial global energy hub. This visit also coincides with rising fuel prices in the US ahead of the midterm elections next month. Reliance, a major conglomerate involved in energy, retail, and telecommunications, is central to Washington's broader oil diplomacy. Business Standard highlighted the significance of the Jamnagar stop, noting Reliance's position as a major buyer of Venezuelan crude oil, second only to the US, at a time when Washington is encouraging India to increase its oil purchases. Since US forces took control of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and its oil industry in January, the US government has been marketing Venezuelan oil to international buyers. Furthermore, Reliance is investing in a new refinery in Texas, the first in the US in five decades, a project that former President Trump lauded as a $300 billion deal upon its announcement in March, according to Business Standard.

A file photograph shows villagers outside the Jamnagar refinery, operated by Reliance Industries, in Jamnagar, India. [File: Manish Swarup/AP]

US Ambassador's Remarks and the Resulting Upset

During the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi on Thursday, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor stated that Rubio would meet Indian government officials in Mumbai and that Washington 'expected' Jaishankar and other officials from New Delhi to travel to meet him. Earlier in the week, however, Jaiswal had not confirmed the trip or offered reasons for Rubio's omission of New Delhi, telling reporters that the Indian government would make an announcement 'at the appropriate time,' according to The Hindu. Jairam Ramesh, a general secretary of the opposition Indian National Congress party, described the ambassador's statement as 'quite extraordinary' on X. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the lower house of parliament, also commented on X, asserting that Rubio had 'summoned his employee to Mumbai.' Pawan Khera, a Congress MP, expressed stronger criticism, writing on X that 'A foreign government summoning India’s External Affairs Minister on Indian soil is a new low, even by the Modi Government’s standards,' referencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Strained US-India Relations: Trade Tariffs and Russian Oil

The primary sources of friction between the US and India stem from former President Trump's tariffs and India's oil imports from Russia. In August of the previous year, following a breakdown in trade talks, the US imposed a 50 percent tariff on most Indian goods. This rate was subsequently reduced to 18 percent under a framework agreed upon in February. However, negotiations have since stalled. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated this month that the talks had 'plateaued,' as reported by The Hindu. On Thursday, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal indicated that the 'first tranche' of a deal was nearing finalization but stressed that India would not sign until its exporters gained an advantage over competitors like Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indonesia, according to Reuters. Additional points of contention have emerged. Last week, US Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspension of eight companies, including Indian IT giants Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, and HCL, from a labor certification program essential for employers seeking green cards for foreign staff. Sameer Lalwani, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's South Asia Program, observed this week that Indian public perception of the US has reached a record low. He attributed this to US engagement with Pakistan and the US-Israel conflict in Iran, which he suggested has driven India back towards Russian oil. Despite these challenges, Lalwani noted that defense and technology cooperation have quietly strengthened, with bilateral trade increasing by nearly 12 percent in 2025 to approximately $240 billion. He concluded that 'perceptions of the political relationship have deteriorated faster than its strategic foundations.' A sanctions law had threatened to exacerbate these issues. Last month, former President Trump signed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which could impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on goods from the five largest importers of Russian oil or gas. India, a significant purchaser of Russian oil, had cautioned Washington that such tariffs could jeopardize bilateral ties. Trump subsequently signed an executive order to waive these sanctions on Friday, aiming to mitigate high oil prices before the US elections on November 3.