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US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Thursday described US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's upcoming visit to India as "more business-focused", highlighting growing bilateral trade, energy cooperation, technology partnerships and investment opportunities, while confirming that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to meet the US Secretary in Mumbai.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy 2026 programme, Gor said the visit would focus on advancing commercial ties between the two countries, with Rubio scheduled to travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar during his India. "This is Secretary's second official visit to India," Gor said. "This trip is a little more business focused, and so once again, if you look at our bilateral trade between the United States and India, it's been an incredible up through," he added. According to a media note issued by the US Department of State, Rubio will visit Uzbekistan and India between October 17 and 22. Following engagements in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the US Secretary of State will travel to Mumbai and Jamnagar, where he is scheduled to meet senior Indian government officials and business leaders. The State Department said the visit would aim to "strengthen the US-India strategic partnership, exchange views on regional and global dynamics, and discuss prospects for enhanced energy cooperation". Outlining Rubio's itinerary, Gor said the Secretary would hold meetings with business representatives in Mumbai before travelling to Jamnagar to engage with Reliance, one of the world's largest oil refining companies. "The Secretary will be going to Mumbai, and he'll have a lot of meetings there. He'll also be going to Jamnagar, where he'll meet some of the folks at Reliance. Reliance is one of the biggest oil refinery companies in the world, but we are also proud because they are also opening the first refinery in the United States in 50 years," Gor said. He also confirmed that Indian government representatives were expected to join the discussions in Mumbai, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "While he's in Mumbai, he will be meeting with government of India officials. We expect Minister Dr Jaishankar will be joining us there, along with other individuals here from Delhi," the US Ambassador said. Gor emphasised India's growing importance as a commercial partner for the United States, pointing to cooperation across sectors ranging from defence and information technology to semiconductors and data infrastructure. Highlighting India's approach towards foreign investment, the Ambassador said New Delhi had provided opportunities for American companies to participate in its expanding economy, describing the relationship as mutually beneficial for both countries. "For the private sector to be able to come to India to compete, to have their foot in the door, you have a very pragmatic Prime Minister here that welcomes outside investment; pick any sector, and we're working together on it," Gor said. He cited defence cooperation and the presence of major American technology companies in India as examples of the growing commercial relationship. "So, if you look at the defence world, we have co-production happening here in India. If you look at IT, it's unmatched. Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and Micron every one of them is opening data centres and chip manufacturing here that work with our companies hand in hand in the United States," he said. Gor argued that investments in India could also support employment in the United States, describing the economic relationship as a shared opportunity. "So when a job is created in India, a counter job is created in the United States, and so it's an incredible win-win situation that I would say is unmatched. There are not a lot of countries in the world that have that liberalist potential," he added. Gor also highlighted India's role in emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing, describing the country's participation in technology initiatives as a reflection of mutual trust between New Delhi and Washington. Referring to the Global AI Impact Summit hosted by India earlier this year, he said the United States had also participated in the event and pointed to India's invitation to the Pax Silica initiative as another indication of the relationship. "They hosted the Global AI Summit, and where they brought the whole world. The United States participated that in that also earlier this year. One of the things that resulted from it, and it's another sign of our relationship with India. He was among the first 10 countries invited into Pax Silica, and the reason for that is because they are a trusted partner," Gor said. He stressed that trust was central to India's potential role in supply chains, particularly as the two countries deepen cooperation in advanced technology and manufacturing. "So for them to be an essential part of our supply chain, that the trust is there," he said. The Ambassador also referred to the recent presence of American F-35 fighter aircraft in India for a joint exercise, describing it as another indication of Washington's confidence in its partnership with New Delhi. "Just last week, we had for the first time ever F-35s in India. Our F-35s don't go all over the world. They don't go to places we don't trust, and they came here for a joint exercise with the Indians," Gor said. His remarks placed defence cooperation alongside investment and technology as key elements of the broader relationship, highlighting the range of sectors in which India and the United States are working together. Rubio's planned visit to Jamnagar and Mumbai is expected to provide an opportunity for discussions on energy cooperation, commercial investment and the wider strategic partnership. The visit follows Rubio's planned engagements in Uzbekistan, where he will participate in the C5+1 Ministerial and hold bilateral meetings with senior officials from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. (ANI)
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