After Musk’s Ambani meltdown, Rubio to visit Reliance refinery

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will journey to Mumbai and the refinery hub of Jamnagar in Gujarat next week, according to the State Department. The visit to Jamnagar, where Rubio will inspect Reliance's oil refinery, is being framed within the context of Reliance's upcoming Texas project, the first major refinery in the US in over 50 years and a key concern for the Trump administration.

The announcement of Rubio's Jamnagar visit followed Elon Musk's online remarks, wherein he referred to Mukesh Ambani as "PM Ambani" and criticized the Indian leader for regulatory hurdles faced by Starlink, a satellite internet service operated by Musk. This is Rubio's second visit to India this year, following a May trip to Delhi for the Quad foreign ministers' meeting.

Rubio's upcoming visit to India will center on strengthening the US-India strategic alliance, deliberating on regional and global issues, and exploring possibilities for increased energy collaboration. During the trip, he is also expected to have a private conversation with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai.

The visit comes on the heels of a spat over talent mobility, with the US temporarily barring certain firms - including many from India - from the PERM green card program. Following this, India expressed strong disapproval of US Vice President J D Vance's controversial remarks characterizing foreign tech workers as "foreign indentured servants," deeming his comments deeply offensive and unjustified.

In addition to the energy sector, India is anticipated to raise issues concerning the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA), which enables the President to impose up to 100 percent tariffs on nations importing Russian oil. However, the threat of such tariffs may have been temporarily alleviated with the US permitting Russia to temporarily export diesel to America and the global market.

Rubio's visit signifies the commencement of several high-level interactions between the two nations in the coming months. They are scheduled to meet once more on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, set for October 30-31. Another Quad foreign ministers' meeting is also slated for the sidelines.

US President Narendra Modi will also visit Florida for the G20 summit from December 14-15, where he is expected to meet with Trump. Additionally, there is a possibility of a Quad leaders' summit during Modi's US visit. A G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta will mark the fourth such summit since the return of Trump to the White House, although a Quad leaders' summit remains unconfirmed.