Marco Rubio in Mumbai today; what's on agenda
What's the story
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio will arrive in India on Tuesday; however, he will not be going to the national capital, New Delhi. Instead, he will be heading to Mumbai. There, he will pay tribute to victims of terror during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Taj Memorial inside the historic Hotel Taj Mahal Palace. More importantly, Rubio will hold a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar this afternoon.
Visit details
Rubio will visit an oil refinery in Jamnagar
After their meeting, he will attend the "Freedom 250 Reception" at the Jio World Convention Centre, celebrating key milestones in US history and bilateral diplomatic ties.
The US Department of State said that Rubio's visit would include discussions on trade, energy, and investment.
After Mumbai, Rubio will visit Gujarat.
In Jamnagar, Rubio will visit the world's largest single-site refinery, operated by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, and attend a reception hosted by the Ambani family, The Hindu reported.
Reliance
Reliance is largest buyer of Venezuelan crude oil
According to Business Standard, the Jamnagar stop was noteworthy since Reliance is the largest buyer of Venezuelan crude oil besides the US at a time when Washington has urged India to buy more.
Reliance is also investing in a new refinery in Texas, the first built in the US in 50 years, which Trump praised as a $300 billion deal when he announced it in March.
Diplomatic tension
Visit sparks political storm in India
The visit has already sparked a political storm after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said Washington expected Jaishankar to travel to meet Rubio.
This led opposition leaders in India to accuse the government of allowing its top diplomat to be "summoned" on home soil.
Congress MP Pawan Khera slammed the Modi government, calling it a "new low even by the Modi Government's standards."
Diplomatic friction
US-India relations under strain over trade tariffs
The visit comes at a time when US-India relations are under strain mostly over trade tariffs and India's purchase of Russian oil.
Last year, the US imposed a 50% tariff on most Indian goods after trade talks broke down.
Although the rate has since fallen to 18%, negotiations have stalled.
Earlier this month, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said talks had "plateaued."
Trade tensions
Trade deal close to being finalized
Further complicating matters, the US suspended eight companies, including Indian IT giants Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and HCL, from a labor certification scheme, a key step for employers seeking green cards for their foreign staff.
But on Thursday, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said the "first tranche" of a deal was in its final stages.
On Moday, Rubio also hinted that a US-India trade deal is close to being finalized.