US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met in Mumbai on October 20, covering energy, trade and defence as both sides aim to finalise a trade deal.

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• Rubio held talks with Jaishankar in Mumbai on October 20, 2026, during a visit to India running from October 17 to 22.
• His itinerary covers Mumbai and Jamnagar rather than New Delhi, a choice that drew political comment in India.
• The Ministry of External Affairs said the agenda covers energy, trade and investment, defence, and critical and emerging technologies.
• Rubio told reporters the two sides are about as close to a trade deal as possible without signing, with only a few items left to wrap up.
• Earlier in October, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the talks had plateaued, while Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the first tranche was in its final stages.
• India says its final tariff rate should be similar to those of competing manufacturing countries such as Vietnam.
• Negotiations had stalled after a round of talks broke down in August 2025, when the US imposed a 50 per cent tariff on most Indian goods.
• Jaishankar and Rubio also held a trilateral meeting with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on regional energy security and shared economic priorities.
• The UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister was on an official visit to Mumbai on October 19 and 20, hosted by Jaishankar.
• Rubio has noted that India has diversified its energy sources but still buys substantial Russian oil, because switching suppliers overnight is difficult.
• Jaishankar also attended celebrations of the 250th anniversary of American independence on October 20 as Guest of Honour.
• Rubio was due to visit a refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on October 21 and meet business leaders.