Trump was also accompanied by US VP Vance and Marco Rubio.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in India on Saturday for his first official visit to the country, bringing with him a packed agenda focusing on energy cooperation, trade, strategic security. The four-day visit, scheduled from May 23 to May 26, comes at a delicate moment in India-US relations, marked by growing economic engagement as well as friction over tariffs and Washington’s increasingly transactional foreign policy under US President Donald Trump.Also read: In an unusual move, Rubio asks Venezuelan leader to visit IndiaRubio’s trip will take him to Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi, where he is expected to hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting with representatives of Japan and Australia. The visit is being seen as a major effort by Washington to strengthen its partnership with New Delhi at a time when India has expanded ties with several global powers, including the European Union and Gulf countries.Ahead of the visit, Rubio repeatedly described India as a “great ally” and “great partner”, while making it clear that energy and trade would dominate the discussion. “We want to sell them as much energy as they will buy,” Rubio said, speaking to reporters in Miami before departing for Sweden and India. “We want to be a bigger part of their portfolio.”

Energy and trade are expected to dominate the talks

Washington has pushed to deepen energy ties with India amid instability in West Asia and global concerns over supply disruptions and rising prices following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio suggested that the US views India not only as a strategic partner but also as one of the world’s most important energy markets.“We were already in talks with them to do more,” Rubio said. He said Washington also sees “opportunities with Venezuelan oil.” He said Venezuela’s interim leadership is also expected to visit India next week, which will prompt broader talks around alternative energy routes and supply chains.Also read: Rubio calls India ‘great partner’ ahead of important visit, stresses strong energy tiesThe emphasis on energy reflects larger economic ties that both sides are now attempting to expand. At the American Chamber of Commerce’s annual leadership summit, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore described bilateral relations as standing at a “remarkable moment”.Gore pointed to the dramatic increase in trade in goods and services between the two countries from about $20 billion to more than $220 billion over the past two decades. He said both the countries are now working towards the ambitious target of $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.“Indian companies are expanding in the United States, especially in pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and technology, while American companies are increasing their presence in India,” Gore said.He also highlighted the growing presence of US corporate giants in India and said top executives from companies including Uber, Walmart, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and GE Aerospace are regularly visiting India due to increased investment interest.

Quad, Indo-Pacific and strategic balance

Rubio’s visit will also include a major diplomatic component through the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting on May 26. The grouping, comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia, has increasingly become the centerpiece of Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which aims to counter China’s growing influence in the region and comes on the backdrop of Trump’s visit to Beijing.Rubio underlined the importance Washington attaches to the Quad and said his first meeting as Secretary of State was with Quad ministers. “I am happy that we are now able to do it in India and we are going to do it at the end of the year as well,” he said.However, for New Delhi, strategic cooperation with Washington now exists with growing caution about the US’s credibility as a partner. Relations between the two countries have become quite complicated during Trump’s second term. Trump has repeatedly taken credit for ending tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent military response.India has strongly rejected any suggestion of US mediation.

Symbolism and messages around the journey

Rubio’s arrival also comes amid US public diplomacy efforts in India. In New Delhi, dozens of auto-rickshaws have been fitted with Trump-themed covers bearing images of the US president, the American flag and the Statue of Liberty to mark America’s upcoming 250th independence celebration and Rubio’s visit.

The US Embassy said thousands of such covers were being distributed across the capital, although the campaign was drawing mixed reactions online.Rubio’s stay in Kolkata is also historically important. This will be the first visit by a US Secretary of State to the city in nearly fourteen years, following Hillary Clinton’s visit in 2012. The city houses the second oldest US Consulate in the world, which was established in the late eighteenth century.