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Why it matters
India buys most of its crude from abroad, and where it buys from affects fuel prices and its ties with the US. A shift away from Russian oil could change costs for refiners like Reliance. The outcome also bears on US tariffs on Indian goods and a trade deal still under negotiation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due at Reliance Industries’ oil refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on 21 October 2026, a day after holding talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai. Energy was at the centre of the visit, with the US pressing India to buy less Russian oil and look at crude from Venezuela and the United States instead.
It is Marco Rubio’s second trip to India as Secretary of State, about five months after he came to New Delhi in May for a meeting of Quad foreign ministers. This time he flew in from Samarkand in Uzbekistan and skipped the capital altogether.
What Marco Rubio and Jaishankar discussed in Mumbai
India’s external affairs ministry said ahead of the meeting that the talks would cover energy, trade and investment, defence, and critical and emerging technologies, Al Jazeera reported, citing spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. After the talks on 20 October, Rubio wrote on social media that the two sides had discussed energy security and defence cooperation.
Asked about India’s purchases of Russian crude, Marco Rubio said India had shown it wanted to depend less on any single supplier and had made real progress, The Week reported. He added that the change would take time and that the US could become an important source of energy for India.
Why Venezuelan crude brings him to Jamnagar
The Jamnagar complex, run by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance, is the largest single-site refinery in the world. Reliance is also the biggest buyer of Venezuelan crude after the US, Business Standard has reported. US forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, and Washington has since taken effective control of the country’s oil industry and has been selling its crude abroad, according to Al Jazeera.
Marco Rubio described India as a “refining superpower” able to process heavy crude such as Venezuela’s, The Week reported. He said Venezuelan oil could help with short-term shortages but could not, on its own, fill every gap in supply. Indian companies already hold oil concessions in Venezuela, though sanctions issues still have to be sorted out.
The visit also includes a reception hosted by the Ambani family, The Hindu reported. Reliance is investing in a new refinery in Texas, a project that President Donald Trump announced in March.
The 100% tariff threat over Russian oil
India is one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, and that has been a sore point with Washington. In August 2025, after trade talks broke down, the US put a 50% tariff on most Indian goods. A framework agreed in February 2026 brought that down to 18%.
Last month, Trump signed the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which allows tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five biggest importers of Russian oil or gas. India had warned that fresh tariffs would hurt relations. Days before Marco Rubio arrived, Trump suspended some of those sanctions, covering India and four other major buyers, as he tries to bring down high oil prices before the US midterm elections on 3 November.
For an Indian exporter, the gap between those rates is large. A shipment worth $1 million pays $180,000 in duty at 18%, against $500,000 at 50%.
Trade deal and the row over the venue
Speaking in Uzbekistan before reaching India, Marco Rubio said the two countries were very close to a trade deal. Indian ministers have sounded more cautious. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in October that talks had plateaued, while Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the first part of a deal was in its final stages but India would sign only if its exporters gained an edge over rivals such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia.
The choice of Mumbai over New Delhi drew criticism at home. US Ambassador Sergio Gor said Washington had expected Jaishankar and others to travel to Mumbai to meet Marco Rubio, and opposition leaders said the minister had in effect been summoned. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the ambassador’s remark “quite extraordinary”. The government has not given a reason for the venue.
Other strains remain. The US Labour Department has suspended eight companies, among them Infosys, TCS, Wipro and HCL, from a certification scheme used to sponsor green cards. Even so, trade between the two countries grew by nearly 12% in 2025 to about $240 billion, Al Jazeera reported.
Readers can follow more on India’s oil imports and global events in NewsPlainly’s world section.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Marco Rubio visiting Jamnagar?
To see Reliance's refinery, the world's largest single-site refinery. Rubio said the visit would help the US understand how the two countries could cooperate on refining crude, including from Venezuela.
Where did Rubio and Jaishankar meet?
In Mumbai on 20 October 2026, not in New Delhi.
What is the current US tariff on Indian goods?
18% on most goods under a framework agreed in February 2026, down from 50% imposed in August 2025.