NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India in May, the United States announced, signaling renewed momentum in ties between New Delhi and Washington after recent strains over trade issues.
The visit of the US Secretary of State comes as both sides are preparing to revive negotiations aimed at sealing an interim trade agreement, indicating a shared push to their economic engagement.
The announcement followed a “productive meeting” between Rubio and India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the White House, where both sides reviewed key pillars of the bilateral relationship, including trade, critical minerals, defence cooperation, and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who attended the meeting, confirmed the upcoming visit in a post on X.
“Secretary Rubio looks forward to visiting India next month,” Gor said. They envoy said that discussions with Misri focused on strengthening cooperation across strategic sectors.
The visit, which will be Rubio’s first to India since assuming office, comes at a time when both countries are working to recalibrate ties after trade-related frictions, particularly over US tariff policies.
During his three-day visit to Washington, Misri also met US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. According to the State Department, the two sides “reaffirmed the close partnership between the two countries” and exchanged views on global and regional developments, including the situation in the Persian Gulf.
Separately, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker emphasized expanding cooperation in security and economic domains.
“We are finding practical ways to make both Americans and Indians safer and more prosperous, including through the Quad,” Hooker said.
The Indian Embassy in Washington said that discussions also reviewed progress since the last Foreign Office Consultations in December and covered recent developments in West Asia and other areas of mutual interest.
Rubio’s upcoming visit is expected to inject momentum to the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, with a focus on deepening coordination in defence, supply chains, and regional security frameworks such as the Quad.