Rubio Calls India ‘Critically Important’ After Talks With Jaishankar

Emphasising the growing strategic ties between New Delhi and Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday described India as a “relationship of critical importance” to the United States. He made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), PTI reported.

The hour-long meeting, held in New York, marked the first in-person dialogue between the two leaders amid recent tensions over trade, tariffs, and India's energy purchases from Russia.

According to a readout from the U.S. State Department, Rubio expressed appreciation for India’s continued engagement on a broad range of bilateral issues, including trade, defense, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, including through the Quad framework.

“Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern,” Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting. “Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch,” he added. 

Rubio, in a separate post, said he discussed with Jaishankar “key areas of our bilateral relationship, including trade, energy, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals, and more to generate prosperity for India and the United States.”

The meeting took place against the backdrop of new policy moves by the U.S. administration. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee on new H1B visa applications, raising alarm among Indian professionals, especially in the IT and medical sectors, who make up a significant share of H1B recipients.

In addition, India continues to face steep U.S. tariffs of up to 50 percent in total, stemming from sanctions related to its energy trade with Russia, a move that has complicated economic ties.

Despite these challenges, both sides have been actively working to deepen their trade relationship. Just hours before Monday’s meeting, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal arrived in New York to lead a delegation in talks with U.S. counterparts, aiming to accelerate progress toward a bilateral trade agreement.

“The delegation plans to take forward the discussions with a view to achieving early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement,” India’s Commerce Ministry said.

Negotiations are focused on finalising the first phase of the agreement by October-November 2025, with an ambitious goal of doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. The current trade volume stands at approximately $191 billion.

Earlier this month, a U.S. Trade Representative delegation visited India for talks, which the Commerce Ministry described as “positive,” noting that both sides agreed to intensify efforts in the coming weeks.