Marco Rubio visits India's largest oil refinery amid stalled trade talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a three-day visit to India, starting in Mumbai and then traveling to Jamnagar, where Reliance Industries operates the world's largest oil refinery, DW reported.

The Jamnagar refinery processes about 1.4 million barrels of crude oil daily and is a significant exporter of diesel fuel globally. It is also a major buyer of Russian Urals crude, making it central to India's energy ties with Russia, according to DW.

Rubio's visit comes amid stalled trade negotiations between the US and India, with ongoing uncertainty over US punitive measures related to India's continued purchases of Russian oil amid the Ukraine war, DW noted.

In March, the US announced plans for a new oil refinery in Texas backed by Reliance, a project valued at $300 billion by President Donald Trump, who has framed it as a way to reduce the US trade deficit with India. The future of this project remains under close observation, DW added.

Since his second term began in 2025, Trump has alternated between tariff threats and negotiations with India over what he calls unfair trade practices and India's Russian oil imports, DW reported.