Marco Rubio visits India this week, with a visit to the world's largest oil refinery topping the agenda

A trip centered on energy

Rubio’s three-day visit starts in Mumbai, India’s finance hub, before moving to Jamnagar, where Reliance Industries operates a major refinery. The itinerary excludes New Delhi, but analysts cited in the report said the choice should not be read as a diplomatic slight.

The Jamnagar facility can process 1.4 million barrels of crude each day. It is a major buyer of Russian Urals crude and a significant source of diesel for global markets. Reliance is also a leading purchaser of Venezuelan oil.

Trade talks and refinery plans

The visit takes place while trade negotiations remain unsettled and US policy on penalties over India’s Russian oil purchases remains uncertain. In March, Washington announced plans for a Texas refinery backed by Reliance.

President Donald Trump has put the project’s value at $300 billion (€258 billion), describing it as a way to help narrow the US trade deficit with India. Its prospects and terms are expected to draw attention. US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor told NDTV that Jamnagar could provide valuable diesel to the United States.

Russian oil and sanctions

Trump has repeatedly threatened tariffs over what he describes as unfair trade practices and India’s continued Russian oil purchases. In February 2026, he announced a trade deal that cut US tariffs on Indian goods in exchange for India lowering trade barriers and stopping Russian oil purchases. Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to halt those imports, but New Delhi has not confirmed that claim.

Kpler data showed Indian refiners briefly shifted supply away from Russia to avoid tightening sanctions. Even so, discounted Russian crude remains central to India’s energy strategy, and Russia is still its top crude supplier.

In mid-September, Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which imposed 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India. He later paused the sanctions by executive order, just days before they were due to take effect.

What officials and analysts said

Speaking in Uzbekistan before traveling to India, Rubio said US officials had waived sanctions in recent months while weighing global supplies, prices and effects on other countries. He also said negotiations with India were close to completion.

Foreign policy analyst C. Raja Mohan described Jamnagar as an important point in global trade because it processes Russian oil and helps move refined Russian petroleum products to Western markets. Former Indian ambassador Meera Shankar said the trip’s emphasis was energy, not a snub to Delhi.

Shankar also said high fuel prices, especially for diesel, had become a political problem for the Trump administration. The article links rising diesel prices worldwide to the Iran war and disruption to Middle Eastern supplies.