Rubio touts US energy on India trip

NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and discussed trade and energy during a visit aimed at reinforcing ties that have come under strain from Washington’s tariffs and its engagement with India’s rivals, Pakistan and China.

According to a US summary of the meeting, Rubio pressed the case for American energy exports and told Modi that US supplies could help broaden India’s energy mix. His office also said Rubio stressed Washington’s position on Iran’s role in global energy markets.

After the meeting, Rubio underlined India’s importance in US regional policy. "India is at the cornerstone of how the United States approaches the Indo-Pacific, and not just through the Quad, but bilaterally," he said.

He made the remarks to reporters after meeting Modi, referring to the Quad grouping that includes the United States, Australia, India and Japan.

Trade tensions and strategic ties

The visit comes as Washington seeks to steady relations with New Delhi after US President Donald Trump imposed some of the highest US tariffs on India last year. Although many of those duties were later eased under an interim arrangement, the two sides have yet to complete a broader trade agreement.

Successive US administrations, including Trump’s first term, have tried to draw India closer as a counterweight to Russian influence and China’s growing role in the Indo-Pacific. However, the energy crisis triggered by the Iran war has complicated US efforts to reduce India’s dependence on Russian oil.

Before the trip, Rubio had said the United States wanted to sell energy to India. In the meeting with Modi, the US side said American energy products had the capacity to diversify India’s energy supply.

Pakistan, Iran and Modi invitation

Washington has also moved closer to Pakistan, India’s neighbour and rival, with Islamabad becoming a key interlocutor in efforts to end the Iran war. It described this as a fresh source of friction in the US-India relationship.

On the Indian side, the government said Modi did not specifically refer to Iran during Saturday’s talks. However, according to an Indian government statement, he reiterated India’s support for peace efforts and called for disputes to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said Rubio also conveyed an invitation from President Donald Trump for Modi to visit the White House in the near future.

The meeting brought together issues of trade, energy security and regional diplomacy at a time when both countries are still working to stabilise a relationship affected by tariff disputes and wider geopolitical shifts.