US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi during a four day visit to India, with energy security, trade negotiations and regional diplomacy high on the agenda. According to BBC reporting, Rubio’s visit comes as India faces pressure from a global energy crisis linked to the Iran war and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio arrived in Kolkata before travelling to Delhi, with additional stops expected in Jaipur and Agra. During his meeting with Modi, US officials said Rubio extended an invitation for the Indian prime minister to visit the White House. Modi said the two sides discussed regional and global peace and security, reflecting the growing strategic importance of the relationship between Washington and New Delhi.
Energy dominated much of the discussion. The Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil and natural gas shipments, has become a major flashpoint since the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. With shipments through the route severely disrupted, India has been hit hard because it imports more than 80 percent of its energy needs and nearly half of its crude oil imports usually move through the strait.
Rubio’s team said the United States wants to help India diversify its energy supply, while also making clear that Washington does not want Iran to disrupt global energy markets. Before the meeting, Rubio suggested the US was ready to sell India as much energy as it was willing to buy. For Delhi, increasing American energy imports could also help reduce the trade imbalance that has long frustrated US President Donald Trump.
The trade relationship remains complicated. The US goods trade deficit with India reached $58.2 billion in 2025, up sharply from the previous year. Earlier this year, the Trump administration reduced reciprocal tariffs on India from 50 percent to 18 percent after months of tension, and later brought them down to 10 percent following a US Supreme Court decision against broader duties.
India has also committed to buying more American goods, including energy, aircraft, technology and agricultural products, as part of an interim trade agreement announced in February. However, experts remain cautious about the scale of the figures being discussed, noting that India’s current trade with the US is still far below some of the numbers being promoted publicly.
Beyond energy and trade, Rubio’s visit comes amid ongoing diplomatic sensitivities involving Pakistan. Trump has repeatedly claimed that he helped broker peace between India and Pakistan after last year’s brief conflict, while India has maintained its longstanding position that it does not accept third party mediation in disputes with Pakistan. Analysts expect any discussion of Pakistan to remain private during Rubio’s visit.
Rubio is also expected to attend a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in Delhi on May 26. The grouping, which includes India, the United States, Japan and Australia, has been viewed as an important forum for Indo Pacific strategy and a counterbalance to China’s influence. Whether the meeting gives new momentum to the Quad will be closely watched, especially as India prepares to host a future leaders’ summit and a Brics summit later this year.
For India, the visit is a chance to strengthen its role as a rising geopolitical and economic power while protecting sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy in future trade talks. For the United States, the trip is about energy, market access, regional influence and keeping India close at a time of global uncertainty.
