During U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India on October 20-21, the two sides discussed stepping up energy cooperation and increasing procurement of American technologies and weapon systems as part of a stocktaking of their bilateral relationship.

Unlike his trip to India in May, Rubio did not visit the Indian capital, New Delhi. Instead, he visited India’s commercial capital, Mumbai, and Jamnagar, where the world’s largest oil refinery run by Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) is located.

An Indian readout of Rubio’s visit to Mumbai said that “the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of India-U.S. relations and discussed ways to further strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.” They exchanged views on trade, defense, technology and energy security, and Rubio and Jaishankar welcomed “the progress made in negotiations on the India-U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) and reaffirmed their commitment to working towards its early conclusion.”

According to a U.S. statement on the talks between Rubio and his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar, Rubio “reiterated that increased energy trade with the United States can play a transformative role in diversifying India’s supply chains while meeting its sizable consumer demand.” Commending recent progress in bilateral defense and civil nuclear cooperation, Rubio advocated the increased purchase of U.S. technologies and systems. No details were provided about which technologies the United States wants India to purchase.

In addition to Jaishankar, Rubio met representatives of three top Indian business houses – the Tatas, Adanis, and Reliance – in Mumbai. He also participated in a trilateral meeting with Jaishankar and the UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan that focused on energy security and regional issues.

Rubio’s visit to Jamnagar was linked to the RIL-run refinery’s capacity to refine heavy crude oils and its plans to construct a refinery near the U.S. border in Texas.

The Rubio visit’s focus on energy is not surprising, as India is one of the top importers of petroleum products. The U.S. has been pressuring India to stop fuel imports from Russia, which surged after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, and to buy Venezuelan crude oil instead, especially after the Donald Trump administration took over Venezuela’s oil industry following its abduction of President Nicolás Maduro.

As Indian strategic affairs analyst C. Raja Mohan wrote in a recent opinion piece in Indian Express, “Washington wants greater energy cooperation with India and more Indian investment in the U.S. Reliance offers a substantial private-sector partner. The question is how Delhi can turn the company’s growing importance in American calculations into an asset for India-U.S. relations.”

Rubio’s latest visit to India came at a time when India-U.S. relations have plunged to their worst in several decades. In addition to imposing unprecedented levels of tariffs on India, the Trump administration has tightened immigration and visa rules that are likely to hit Indian professionals hard. Besides, it has cozied up to Pakistan.

Last month, the U.S. Congress passed a bill authorizing Trump to punish countries buying energy from Russia, which has major implications for India. However, days ahead of Rubio’s visit to India, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a waiver on sanctions and tariffs related to ‌Russian exports for a 60-day period, after he reached a deal on purchasing Russian diesel. The suspension of sanctions will give India some respite, albeit temporarily.

At a time when India-U.S. ties are strained, “Rubio’s visit seeks to shift the focus to energy security, corporate partnerships and resolving trade standoffs,” Indian analyst Brahma Chellaney observed in a post on X. By visiting Mumbai and Jamnagar rather than New Delhi, “Rubio is emphasizing pragmatic cooperation over diplomatic friction. The approach could help sustain momentum in energy, private-sector investment and economic ties, thus keeping the broader bilateral partnership productive,” Chellaney pointed out.

During his visit to India, Rubio made several statements that sought to reassure Delhi.

At an event to mark the 250th anniversary of American Independence, Rubio acknowledged differences between India and the U.S. “No two nations on Earth will ever be perfectly aligned on every issue, and of course there will be times and points of disagreement.” But on core issues “that define the national interest of both India and the United States – the alignment between our countries is extraordinary,” he said.

On the stalled India-U.S. trade deal that has cast a shadow over bilateral ties, Rubio said both countries were “incredibly close” to an agreement. “The way I would say it is we are weeks, not months away from I think, finalizing it.  I think 99 percent of the work is done… I feel very positive about the trajectory that it’s on.”

In an interview published in Indian Express, Rubio sought to assure India that improved ties with Pakistan would not be “at the expense of our relationship with India.” On the new immigration rules, he said that the regulations were “not unique to Indians or India; it is tied more broadly to the world… We are trying to fix 20 years of neglect of an immigration system that was simply not being enforced. And that’s not targeting India.”

Reassuring as Rubio’s statements may be, it will take a lot of work to bring the troubled India-U.S. relationship back to an even keel, especially since Trump is known for unpredictable policy changes. Therefore, Rubio’s visit may be the first step on a long and winding road to rebuilding trust.