Marco Rubio skips New Delhi for Mumbai, sparking a diplomatic row in India
Opposition leaders say India's foreign minister is being 'summoned' to meet the US secretary of state, as tariff talks stall and Russian oil purchases strain ties.
At a glance
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Mumbai on Tuesday, October 20, instead of the capital New Delhi.
- The US ambassador said Washington 'expected' External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to travel to Mumbai, prompting opposition anger.
- Rubio will also visit Reliance's Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat.
- Trade talks have 'plateaued'; US tariffs on most Indian goods were cut from 50% to 18% in a February framework.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's second trip to India in six months has started with a row — not over what he will discuss, but where.
Rubio arrives from a Central Asia summit in Uzbekistan and holds talks in Mumbai, skipping the capital New Delhi. According to India's foreign ministry, he meets External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar there on Tuesday, October 20. He will also meet business leaders, visit Reliance Industries' Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat and attend a reception hosted by the Ambani family. Officials say the agenda covers energy, trade, investment, defence and emerging technologies.
'Summoned' on home soil
No official reason has been given for bypassing Delhi. The controversy grew after US Ambassador Sergio Gor told an event in New Delhi on October 15 that Washington "expected" Jaishankar to meet the delegation in Mumbai. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Rubio had "summoned his employee", while Jairam Ramesh called the ambassador's remark "quite extraordinary".
Strained ties
The visit comes at a tense moment. The US imposed a 50% tariff on most Indian goods in August 2025; a February framework cut it to 18%, but Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says talks have "plateaued". Trade Minister Piyush Goyal says a first tranche is close but India won't sign until its exporters get an edge over rivals.
India's purchases of Russian oil remain a sore point. A new US law could impose tariffs of up to 100% on the biggest buyers of Russian crude, though President Trump has moved to waive those sanctions. The US Labor Department has also suspended eight companies, including Infosys, TCS, Wipro and HCL, from a green-card labour certification scheme.
Despite the friction, bilateral trade grew about 12% in 2025 to nearly $240 billion, according to Carnegie Endowment analyst Sameer Lalwani.
Questions people are asking
Why is Rubio visiting Mumbai and not New Delhi?
No official reason has been given. The talks focus on energy, trade, investment, defence and technology, and include a visit to Reliance's Jamnagar refinery.
What are US tariffs on Indian goods?
The US imposed a 50% tariff on most Indian goods in August 2025. A February 2026 framework lowered it to 18%, but negotiations on a wider deal have since stalled.
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