US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will set off on Saturday for a five-day tour of India and Uzbekistan, the State Department said. He will travel to Samarkand in Uzbekistan, and to Mumbai and Jamnagar in India, according to a statement the department issued on Tuesday.
In India, Rubio is scheduled to meet government officials and discuss energy cooperation. The department said he would exchange views on regional and global developments during those talks.
Rubio’s India stops focus on energy and trade
The statement said Rubio hopes to explore ways of deepening energy ties with India. Indian and American officials indicated earlier this month that long-running efforts to finalise a bilateral trade agreement have stalled again.
Strained US-India ties and Russian energy concerns
Relations between Washington and New Delhi have been strained over the past year. Friction points include President Donald Trump’s repeated claim that he brokered an India-Pakistan ceasefire, and a US military attack on a ship off Oman that killed three Indian seafarers.
New Delhi has also raised concerns about US legislation that would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian energy. India cut its purchases from Russia only briefly in early 2026, and they have since risen, especially after a supply shock that followed the US-Israeli war on Iran.
The visit was announced amid ongoing protests in India over the removal of 130 million voters from electoral rolls. Washington has not yet commented on the demonstrations.
Uzbekistan talks and business delegation
In Uzbekistan, Rubio will take part in bilateral meetings with officials from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. He will also lead a delegation of more than 200 business leaders, the State Department said.
