U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday and invited him to visit the White House, as the two sides work to improve ties.
"The secretary extended an invitation, on behalf of President Trump, to the prime minister to visit the White House," the U.S. State Department said in a statement after the meeting. The two sides also "agreed to deepen trade and defense cooperation and accelerate collaboration on critical and emerging technologies."
Rubio's Four-Day Visit to India
Rubio is on a four-day visit to the world's most-populous nation for talks with senior Indian officials on issues ranging from energy to regional security. He will also take part on Tuesday in a meeting of the Quad, a strategic grouping comprising the US, India, Japan and Australia. The partnership focuses on promoting a free and inclusive Indo-Pacific and is widely seen as a counterweight to China's growing economic and military influence in the region.
Background of Strained Relations
The visit comes as Washington and New Delhi seek to stabilize ties after months of friction between Trump and Modi. The two leaders have not met face-to-face since Modi visited the White House in February 2025. Relations deteriorated sharply after Trump claimed credit for helping end clashes between India and Pakistan last May — an assertion New Delhi repeatedly rejected. Tensions deepened further in August when Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods over New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil.
"It will be premature to read anything into the invite to Prime Minister Modi to visit the U.S.," said Meera Shankar, a former Indian ambassador to the US. "India will be watching what practical actions the US takes on issues such as trade, immigration and the H1B visa."
Recent Improvements and Trade Talks
Ties have improved this year, with the two sides agreeing to an interim deal that resulted in lower tariffs on Indian goods. Advancing those negotiations will be a priority for India during Rubio's visit, said Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, South Asia practice head at Eurasia Group.
New Delhi is also likely to raise civil nuclear energy, particularly small modular reactors, during bilateral discussions, according to Indian officials who asked not to be named to discuss private matters. India overhauled its nuclear laws last year to attract private investment and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
Energy Diversification and Regional Security
The visit comes as India looks to diversify its oil and gas supplies amid mounting disruptions to global energy flows. The South Asian nation has been hit hard by the Middle East conflict because of its heavy reliance on energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway effectively blocked soon after Iran was attacked in late February.
"The secretary emphasized that the United States will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage and affirmed that US energy products have the potential to diversify India's energy supply," the US State Department said in its statement.
