No Delhi Stop, No Modi Meeting: Rubio Heads to Mumbai and Jamnagar as Reliance, Ambani Take Centre Stage

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's decision to skip New Delhi and head to Mumbai and Jamnagar has placed Reliance Industries and billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani in the spotlight ahead of his October 17-22 India visit. With no meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in the itinerary, the trip stands out for its emphasis on a major private-sector energy complex alongside official diplomatic engagements.

Rubio is scheduled to arrive in India after visiting Samarkand in Uzbekistan. He is expected to meet Indian government officials, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in Mumbai before travelling to Jamnagar, Gujarat, to visit Reliance Industries' massive oil refinery complex. The facility is a major hub in global refining, giving the visit significance for energy markets, investment and India's role in international oil trade.

The prominence of the Reliance visit has fuelled speculation that commercial and energy interests will be central to the trip. Ambani, Reliance's chairman, oversees a conglomerate with extensive interests in refining, petrochemicals, retail and telecommunications. However, neither a meeting with Ambani nor the claim that it is Rubio's principal purpose has been officially confirmed. The published itinerary also does not include a meeting with Modi.

The visit comes as India and the United States seek progress on a bilateral trade agreement while navigating differences over tariffs and energy supplies. India's purchases of Russian oil remain a sensitive issue in Washington, making energy security and refining potential subjects of particular interest.

The itinerary has also sparked a political row. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that External Affairs Ministry officials were confused about the arrangements, saying Rubio had “summoned his employee to Mumbai” and challenging Modi to explain the situation.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questioned why US Ambassador Sergio Gor, rather than India's official diplomatic channels, had announced the proposed meeting with Jaishankar. The Ministry of External Affairs subsequently confirmed the planned meeting, while Congress leader Pawan Khera also criticised the itinerary.