Rubio’s India visit to focus on business: Sergio Gor

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's forthcoming journey to India will emphasize business relations. Sergio Gor, the US Ambassador to India, announced on Thursday that Rubio would be convening meetings with Indian government officials in Mumbai and representatives from Reliance in Jamnagar. Addressing a session at Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Gor revealed that Rubio would hold several meetings in Mumbai, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other officials from Delhi also scheduled to meet him there.

Rubio is set to be in India from October 17 to 22, following a visit to Samarkand in Uzbekistan. The trip aims to bolster energy cooperation, according to US Department of State spokesperson. This will be Rubio's second official visit to India within a year. During his previous visit in May, he participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting hosted by Jaishankar in New Delhi.

Gor indicated that this visit would diverge from Rubio's earlier one, as it would encompass stops in Delhi, Kolkata, and Rajasthan. This time, the emphasis will be more on business, he noted, citing the surge in trade between India and the US. Rubio will also journey to Jamnagar to interact with individuals from Reliance, particularly highlighting the company's extensive oil refining operations.

When asked about Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani's attendance, Gor anticipated his presence, noting that Ambani manages the company. Gor also commented on Reliance's investment in a proposed refinery in Brownsville, Texas. The project, announced by US President Donald Trump in March, is projected to cost $300 billion and would be the first new refinery in the US in 50 years. Reliance's Jamnagar complex, the world's largest single-site refining facility, can process 1.4 million barrels of crude oil daily.