Rubio starts first visit to India on heels of US-China summit

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday for a four-day, four-city visit aimed at repairing strained ties with Washington's traditionally like-minded partner.

Rubio will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi later Saturday, a week after President Donald Trump's state visit to China.

Why is Marco Rubio visiting India and what is on the agenda?

Rubio's visit is widely seen as a repair mission after a difficult stretch in U.S.-India relations marked by Trump's tariff policies and tensions over India's ties with Russia.

The trip will cover energy exports, defense cooperation, trade, and critical technologies.

Before leaving on Tuesday, Rubio will also attend a meeting of Quad foreign ministers, bringing together Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, four democracies seen as a counterweight to China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean region.

How has the Iran conflict affected U.S.-India energy relations?

India's fast-growing economy is heavily reliant on energy imports and has been rattled by the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, which retaliated by choking off the strategic Strait of Hormuz, sending global oil prices soaring.

In brief remarks at the start of the trip, Rubio called India a "great ally, great partner" and said Washington would look for ways to sell it more oil.

There is an appetite in New Delhi to boost U.S. energy imports, which would also help bridge the trade deficit that has been a source of tension between the two countries.

How have U.S.-India ties soured under Trump?

Trump imposed punitive tariffs on India at rates higher than those placed on China, after Modi declined to credit him with ending India's short war with Pakistan last year.

Rubio's deputy, Christopher Landau, added to the friction by warning that India's rise should not come at the commercial expense of the United States, vowing not to repeat "the same mistakes" made with China.

Relations have since improved following a trade deal negotiated after the arrival of U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor, a close political aide to Trump.

How does Pakistan's re-emergence complicate the U.S.-India relationship?

The conflict with Iran has seen Pakistan re-emerge as a key U.S. partner, with Islamabad positioning itself as a mediator between Washington and Tehran.

Pakistan's army chief flew to Tehran on Friday, and Trump has warmed considerably to Islamabad, which has lavished him with praise over his diplomacy and welcomed a cryptocurrency firm owned by the U.S. president's family.

India has historically been the preferred U.S. partner in South Asia, but Trump has turned away from long-held assumptions, creating new uncertainty for New Delhi.

What else is Rubio doing during his India visit?

Rubio began his trip in Kolkata, where he toured the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by the late Mother Teresa. He is joined on the trip by his wife Jeanette, with whom he will later visit the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Rubio, a devout Catholic who as a senator championed close ties with India, told reporters on his plane that this was his first visit to the country.