America First, India First: Rubio's Packed Day 2 in New Delhi
US Secretary of State spent the day in New Delhi navigating a relationship that, by all serious accounts, has fallen to its lowest point in over two decades. By the time Rubio sat down at Hyderabad House, both sides had plenty to say.
The morning centrepiece was a formal delegation-level meeting between Rubio and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar . Jaishankar was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri , MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal , and other senior officials, while Rubio was joined by US Ambassador Sergio Gor and members of the American delegation. Jaishankar confirmed the talks reviewed "the entire spectrum" of the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, trade and energy, defence and security, critical minerals and AI, nuclear cooperation, people-to-people ties, counter-terror and counter-narcotics cooperation.
The press conference that followed produced the defining line of the visit. When asked about Trump's "America First" posture, Jaishankar did not flinch. He said that while the Trump administration has been very forthright in putting forward its foreign policy outlook as " America First," India has an "India First" approach , and that both countries are obviously driven by their respective national interests. Rubio, standing right beside him, had his own answer on trade tensions: "I don't view our relation with any country in the world as coming at the expense of our strategic alliance with India," he said, adding that trade concerns were not directed at New Delhi specifically but were applied from a global perspective.
On energy, Jaishankar reaffirmed India's "India First" energy strategy, emphasising the need for multiple, cheap and dependable sources, and warned that energy markets must remain free from artificial distortions, noting that while the US fits India's needs, New Delhi will continue to diversify globally. The bigger energy news came from Rubio: he said significant progress had been made in negotiations with Iran to end the West Asia conflict, including completely opening the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, and that " good news " could come within hours, hinting at an imminent announcement from President Trump.
On Pakistan and China , Rubio was direct. He asserted that Washington's relations with other countries would not impact ties with India. "India is at the cornerstone of how the United States approaches the Indo-Pacific, and not just through the Quad, but bilaterally," he said. Jaishankar also raised visa concerns squarely, saying that legal mobility should not be adversely impacted by America's new immigration approach, and that people-to-people ties are at the heart of the relationship. Rubio's response, that the changes were not targeted at India, offered reassurance without resolution.
Jaishankar also laid out India's five-point global doctrine : advocating diplomacy over conflict, supporting free maritime commerce, demanding respect for international law, opposing the weaponisation of markets and resources, and championing trusted partnerships and resilient supply chains. Delivered in front of the American Secretary of State, it was a polite but unmistakable declaration of independence.
The afternoon brought a separate, sharper conversation. Rubio, who holds the unique dual role of Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, met NSA Ajit Doval , with discussions focused on defence, security, strategic technology, and the TRUST initiative on critical minerals. The two sides also discussed counterterrorism cooperation, regional stability, and Indo-Pacific strategic coordination.
With the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Day 2 did what it needed to do: clear the air, state the stakes honestly, and leave just enough goodwill on the table for the multilateral work ahead. Whether the repair holds will depend entirely on what follows the handshakes.