Rubio to visit India for bilateral talks; Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting May-end

In a visit anticipated to shore up India-U.S. ties, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is ready to journey to India for bilateral talks and to attend the Australia-India-Japan-U.S. Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM). Outlooking the visit on Wednesday (May 6, 2026), U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor stated he hoped to welcome Mr. Rubio to India “soon”. Sources informed The Hindu that Mr. Rubio is predicted to be in Delhi for a three-day visit from May 24 to 26, his first since taking on as U.S. Secretary of State final January.

“The United States deeply values our growing partnership with India, and we are excited to build even stronger ties that will benefit both our nations and the world,” Mr. Gor, who can also be U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special envoy for South and Central Asia, stated in a publish.  “See you soon, Mr. Secretary!” he added.

In a separate publish after meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Mr. Gor additionally introduced that a number of U.S. Governors can be visiting India within the months forward.

Also Read | India, U.S. conclude ‘constructive’ in-person talks on trade deal, but no word on deadline

Public reception

Mr. Rubio’s visit will embrace a public reception in Delhi on May 24 to have fun 250 years of the United States’ Declaration of Independence. He will maintain talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and name on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in discussions which can be anticipated to set the course for India-U.S. ties after a number of ups and downs over tariffs and sanctions, in addition to the affect of the battle in West Asia. On Tuesday (May 5, 2026), Mr. Rubio introduced that U.S. operations on Iran that have been launched on February 28 had “ended”, whereas naval operations to forcibly open up the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian management have been “paused” whereas U.S.-Iran talks are on.

On May 26, Mr. Rubio and Mr. Jaishankar will likely be joined by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi for the Quad FMM. Mr. Motegi and Ms. Wong have each visited Delhi previously few months, and are anticipated to journey to India simply for the Quad talks. The U.S. Secretary of State’s visit will observe a visit to Beijing by U.S. President Mr. Trump, tentatively anticipated on May 14-15, and Mr. Rubio is predicted to temporary his Quad counterparts concerning the outcomes of that visit as effectively. All eyes will likely be on whether or not the Quad meet agrees on a date for the Summit, which the federal government hopes to maintain later this yr, after making an attempt unsuccessfully to host it for the previous two years. In specific, a visit to India by Mr. Trump, who faces mid-term elections in November, will likely be key to scheduling the Summit.

Also Read | Discussed ways to build strong future of India-U.S. ties: U.S. envoy Gor on meeting with Trump

Indian and U.S. officers are additionally anticipated to evaluation the progress within the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) throughout Mr. Rubio’s visit. Although an interim settlement was introduced by Mr. Trump and Mr. Modi after a telephone name in February this yr, it has missed a number of finalisation deadlines, and stays unfinished due to uncertainty over the U.S. Supreme Court’s determination to strike down Mr. Trump’s “liberation day tariffs”.

On Wednesday (May 6, 2026), the U.S. authorities introduced that investments promised by Indian companies throughout a “Select USA” have been the only largest by any nation in 2026.

“Historic deals in tech, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals announced today have unlocked over $20.5 billion in investment. This is a record-breaking moment,” the U.S. State Department stated in a press release on social media.