New Delhi [India], October 16 (ANI): US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) President and CEO Mukesh Aghi said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s upcoming visit to India is expected to focus on bilateral ties, geopolitical developments and the Quad, with discussions likely to cover West Asia, Russian oil and technology cooperation.
Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Aghi said that trade was unlikely to be the primary focus of Rubio’s visit, with greater emphasis expected on strategic and geopolitical issues.
“Well, I don’t expect much on the trade side on his visit. As a Secretary of State, he is going to focus more on the India-US relationship, on the geopolitics of it, and most probably on the Quad side. Because he came here for the Quad Summit, and now both the External Affairs Minister and he are meeting in Mumbai to discuss other issues, and you have issues like the Middle East, you have issues on Russian oil, you have issues on technology.”
He added that Rubio’s repeated visits reflected Washington’s interest in India and the importance of the bilateral relationship.
“But it’s very encouraging for the state secretary to come in April and now again to India. It shows his interest in India and the importance of India in this relationship,” he said.
According to a media note issued by the US Department of State, Rubio will visit Uzbekistan and India between October 17 and 22. After engagements in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, he is scheduled to travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar, where he will meet senior Indian government officials and business leaders.
Earlier on Thursday, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said the visit would be “a little more business focused”, highlighting bilateral trade, energy cooperation, technology partnerships and investment opportunities. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to meet Rubio in Mumbai.
On the potential participation of a large business delegation, Aghi said he was not aware of such a delegation but stressed that American companies continued to show strong interest in India.
“I am not aware of the big business delegation, but I have to say that the US companies’ and US CEOs’ interest in India is unabated. It is moving in a very, very strong manner. The investment from US companies continues to grow. You look at the opening of more GCCs by US companies is growing exponentially itself. So, in every aspect, the economic relationship, the FDI from US companies is going up,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of Jamnagar amid global energy disruptions, Aghi said developments in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war had made energy security a major concern, particularly as crude oil transportation slowed and refineries in Saudi Arabia and Russia were hit.
“Well, when you look at what’s happening in the Middle East, what’s happening in the Ukraine war, energy is a big issue. With the I would say not closure, but slowing down of tanks coming out carrying crude oil, then basically some of the refineries getting hit both in Saudi and also in Russia itself, Jamnagar plays a very critical role,” he said.
Aghi said the Jamnagar complex, one of the world’s largest refineries, could process different grades of crude oil, including Venezuelan and Russian crude, giving it an important role in global energy supplies.
“One of the world’s largest refineries is able to take some of the heaviest crude from Venezuela to Russian crude and refine it. It is going to play a very pivotal role,” he added.
He also referred to the announcement regarding Reliance setting up a refinery in Texas, the United States, and said energy security and resilient supply chains would be key subjects for discussion.
“And at the same time, India has not basically set up a major refinery in the last 30 years. And you saw the announcement between the Reliance setting up the first refinery in Texas itself. So, I think the discussion is going to be on that also. So, I think the focus is going to be on energy security, energy partnership, and how do you basically bring in a more resilient supply chain in this area,” Aghi said.
On whether tariffs and India’s purchases of Russian oil would put pressure on bilateral ties, Aghi said the issues were important but maintained that differences should not overshadow the broader relationship.
“I think they will discuss all those issues; they’re important. But I don’t think there is a stress factor in the relationship. Because you have to understand both sides have different challenges, and these challenges shift as time goes by. And so the demand and the need also shift from that perspective,” he said.
Referring to political statements emerging from the United States ahead of the midterm elections, Aghi urged both sides to maintain a long-term perspective on their relationship.
“And so keeping that in mind, it is important to understand that with the midterms coming in, you see a lot of political statements coming out of the US. And we should have, I call thick skin not to react to those statement itself and, but keep on focusing on the bigger relationship,” he added.
Aghi also highlighted the TRUST initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in February 2025, saying companies were working to advance cooperation in critical minerals and reduce dependence on China for key supplies.
“Well, things are moving. See, TRUST is basically the critical minerals partnership, you get companies involved. And companies are moving in every aspect, trying to execute that vision. It is important for India to become self-sufficient in critical minerals, and so is the US. And India becomes a trusted partner,” he said.
Citing the pharmaceutical sector, Aghi said Indian generic medicines accounted for 40 per cent of the US market and generated billions of dollars in savings for the American government through its Medicare and Medicaid programmes. However, he said 70 per cent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in those medicines came from China.
“So, we need to work focus on bringing that API from China into India itself. And the government has made that effort, companies have made that effort, and I believe in the next 5 years, most of that will start coming out of India,” Aghi said. (ANI)
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