Mr Secretary, how deep are your pockets?
Marco Rubio carries a heavy burden on his first visit to India. Frothy social media messages aside, Rubio's task is hard - how to placate his counterparts, pacify doubters, and pretend that events of the last year-and-a-half are nothing but a blip in the relationship.
Not easy. But as Trump's most adept cabinet member who can deploy diplomacy when needed, and spew fire when necessary, the secretary of state and national security adviser may be the person most needed for the moment. To be sure, he will face a tough jury. But Rubio may have questions of his own about the recent BRICS meeting in India. Trump thinks the group is inimical to US interests.
The May 23-26 visit includes stops in Kolkata, Agra and Jaipur, besides Delhi, with festivities to mark America's 250th anniversary. Rubio's Golden Triangle itinerary is interesting, and a Kolkata stop even more so since the West Bengal capital hosts the US' second-oldest diplomatic mission in the world.
The consulate is situated on Ho Chi Minh Sarani, the colonial-era Harrington Street that the then-United Front Bengal government renamed in 1969 during the height of the Vietnam War. Now that BJP runs the state, will the Americans ask that this old 'wrong' committed by the state government be undone?
The official agenda includes talks on energy, trade and defence cooperation with an underlying message to 'Buy (more) American' oil, weapons and small nuclear reactors. A Quad foreign ministers' meeting is planned on the last day with Australia and Japan in attendance.
A leaders' summit looks unlikely for a second year running. Trump hasn't uttered 'Quad' since he took office. Whether it's to appease China or because he sees no value in the grouping is unclear. The downgrade is a bit like 'Vishwaguru' shrinking to 'Vishwamitra'.
Quad aside, the need to resuscitate the US-India bilateral relationship from political stupor is more urgent. The year of verbal insults and tariff injury remains fresh in the mind, the US war on Iran is hurting India in too many ways to enumerate, and Trump's courtship of Xi Jinping and Asim Munir makes everything harder.
Are Trump's disruptions worth it? Countries not surrounded by the safety of oceans or endowed with oil or protected by trillion-dollar military budgets will say, 'Absolutely not.' Rubio will, no doubt, give justifications, some real, some imaginary, so both sides can keep calm and carry on. Whether his reception committee agrees is another matter.
Rubio will get Delhi's PoV on the US pivot to Pakistan and how it raises the risk of another Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack against India. Perceived proximity to Trump can excite Munir to another adventure in the belief he has 'cover' as the president's 'favourite' field marshal. As a former ambassador noted, inviting Munir to a White House lunch was like calling the chief of Hamas after the Oct 7 attacks against Israel.
Here's something for Rubio to chew on: a new ORF survey of young Indians shows support for the US is declining. It dropped from 83% in 2024 to 56% in 2025. At least 71% of the respondents were concerned about unpredictability of the US, and saw Russia and Japan becoming leading partners in the next 10 yrs.
If this doesn't alarm the State Department, nothing will. But, then, US diplomats have never truly appreciated the pro-America tilt of most 'regular' Indians, or treated it as a strategic asset to be nurtured. They would rather spend energy trying to charm the fuming crowds in Pakistan who attack the US embassy and consulates. Almost always at the behest of the Pakistan Army.
India has no choice but to deal with the evolving dynamics, especially one between the US and China. Rubio will no doubt share his thoughts on the recent US-China summit and why the great game of competition got lost in selling soyabeans and Boeings to Xi.
The sales pitch to India will include a push on nuclear energy, a sector where things seem to finally be moving. US industry executives and India's power minister met recently to discuss how India's vision of 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047 can become a reality. Maharashtra may emerge as an 'early hub' for small modular reactors.
On the downside, the US-India bilateral trade agreement is still not signed. Will Gautam Adani's move to invest up to $30 bn in the US ease the way? Or will US threats of high tariffs continue to hang over the stalled deal? The initial terms/rates agreed upon are no longer valid since the US Supreme Court invalidated tariffs Trump imposed using emergency powers.
P.S.: Sergio Gor's post announcing Rubio's visit garnered many angry comments against H-1Bs, call centre scammers and illegal Indian immigrants. Houston, we have a problem.
Not easy. But as Trump's most adept cabinet member who can deploy diplomacy when needed, and spew fire when necessary, the secretary of state and national security adviser may be the person most needed for the moment. To be sure, he will face a tough jury. But Rubio may have questions of his own about the recent BRICS meeting in India. Trump thinks the group is inimical to US interests.
The May 23-26 visit includes stops in Kolkata, Agra and Jaipur, besides Delhi, with festivities to mark America's 250th anniversary. Rubio's Golden Triangle itinerary is interesting, and a Kolkata stop even more so since the West Bengal capital hosts the US' second-oldest diplomatic mission in the world.
The consulate is situated on Ho Chi Minh Sarani, the colonial-era Harrington Street that the then-United Front Bengal government renamed in 1969 during the height of the Vietnam War. Now that BJP runs the state, will the Americans ask that this old 'wrong' committed by the state government be undone?
The official agenda includes talks on energy, trade and defence cooperation with an underlying message to 'Buy (more) American' oil, weapons and small nuclear reactors. A Quad foreign ministers' meeting is planned on the last day with Australia and Japan in attendance.
A leaders' summit looks unlikely for a second year running. Trump hasn't uttered 'Quad' since he took office. Whether it's to appease China or because he sees no value in the grouping is unclear. The downgrade is a bit like 'Vishwaguru' shrinking to 'Vishwamitra'.
Quad aside, the need to resuscitate the US-India bilateral relationship from political stupor is more urgent. The year of verbal insults and tariff injury remains fresh in the mind, the US war on Iran is hurting India in too many ways to enumerate, and Trump's courtship of Xi Jinping and Asim Munir makes everything harder.
Are Trump's disruptions worth it? Countries not surrounded by the safety of oceans or endowed with oil or protected by trillion-dollar military budgets will say, 'Absolutely not.' Rubio will, no doubt, give justifications, some real, some imaginary, so both sides can keep calm and carry on. Whether his reception committee agrees is another matter.
Rubio will get Delhi's PoV on the US pivot to Pakistan and how it raises the risk of another Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack against India. Perceived proximity to Trump can excite Munir to another adventure in the belief he has 'cover' as the president's 'favourite' field marshal. As a former ambassador noted, inviting Munir to a White House lunch was like calling the chief of Hamas after the Oct 7 attacks against Israel.
Here's something for Rubio to chew on: a new ORF survey of young Indians shows support for the US is declining. It dropped from 83% in 2024 to 56% in 2025. At least 71% of the respondents were concerned about unpredictability of the US, and saw Russia and Japan becoming leading partners in the next 10 yrs.
If this doesn't alarm the State Department, nothing will. But, then, US diplomats have never truly appreciated the pro-America tilt of most 'regular' Indians, or treated it as a strategic asset to be nurtured. They would rather spend energy trying to charm the fuming crowds in Pakistan who attack the US embassy and consulates. Almost always at the behest of the Pakistan Army.
India has no choice but to deal with the evolving dynamics, especially one between the US and China. Rubio will no doubt share his thoughts on the recent US-China summit and why the great game of competition got lost in selling soyabeans and Boeings to Xi.
The sales pitch to India will include a push on nuclear energy, a sector where things seem to finally be moving. US industry executives and India's power minister met recently to discuss how India's vision of 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047 can become a reality. Maharashtra may emerge as an 'early hub' for small modular reactors.
On the downside, the US-India bilateral trade agreement is still not signed. Will Gautam Adani's move to invest up to $30 bn in the US ease the way? Or will US threats of high tariffs continue to hang over the stalled deal? The initial terms/rates agreed upon are no longer valid since the US Supreme Court invalidated tariffs Trump imposed using emergency powers.
P.S.: Sergio Gor's post announcing Rubio's visit garnered many angry comments against H-1Bs, call centre scammers and illegal Indian immigrants. Houston, we have a problem.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)
Seema Sirohi
Senior journalist who writes on foreign policy and India's place in the world.