Rubio in Mumbai today for talks with Jaishankar; trade deal and energy top the agenda

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due in Mumbai on Tuesday for talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a visit that both governments say will focus on trade, energy and investment.

According to the schedule shared by the Ministry of External Affairs, Rubio lands in Mumbai in the afternoon, pays tribute at the memorial to victims of terrorism at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, and then holds bilateral talks with Jaishankar at the same venue. On Wednesday he travels to Jamnagar in Gujarat, home to Reliance Industries' giant refinery complex.

What is on the table

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the discussions would cover energy, trade, investment, defence and critical and emerging technologies, along with regional and global developments. He said the visit would help sustain high-level engagement between the two countries.

The proposed bilateral trade agreement is expected to feature prominently. Speaking in Uzbekistan before arriving, Rubio said Washington was "very close" to completing the deal. US Ambassador Sergio Gor has also said the main issues have been settled, while Jaishankar has spoken of talks nearing a landing point.

Energy is the other major theme. The visit comes days after President Donald Trump waived sanctions under a new US law that could have led to tariffs of up to 100 per cent on large buyers of Russian oil, a group that includes India. Rubio has said the administration is using a 60-day window to study the effects.

Questions over the venue

The decision to hold the meeting in Mumbai rather than New Delhi drew criticism from opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who questioned the arrangement. The MEA responded that India has frequently hosted visiting dignitaries outside the capital, pointing to past meetings in cities such as Ahmedabad, Varanasi and Goa.

Jaishankar is also hosting UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Mumbai, with the security situation in West Asia expected to be discussed.

Why it matters

For Indian exporters, an early trade deal with the US would bring clarity after more than a year of tariff uncertainty. The energy talks matter for fuel prices at home, as crude remains elevated because of tensions around the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on Saudi Arabia.