Marco Rubio’s visit did little to assuage India’s concerns

Rubio’s mission may have been to steady the India-US boat and to assure New Delhi about Washington’s trustworthiness. That, however, would require more than just a visit by the secretary of state

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived to an unusual, yet predictable, cold reception in India on May 23 for a four-day visit. Even though it was his first official visit to India, the reception given to him was reflective of the tensions in the India-US ties, especially since Operation Sindoor.

The imposition of steep tariffs on Indian products by the Donald Trump administration, imposed partly over New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil, muddied waters further though the two countries have signed an interim trade agreement which reduced tariffs and increased imports of US products by India.

Other issues in the last year that have put a strain on ties include recent changes in US immigration policy (which affects Indians disproportionately) and the renewed engagement between the US and Pakistan as Islamabad positioned itself as a mediator between Tehran and Washington.

India has also watched with concern Trump’s recent visit to China, where the idea of a G-2 was suggested and where the diplomatic optics suggested that the US was treating China as its equal in power. Added to this is the US-Israel war on Iran, which has affected India’s economy in more ways than one. India has been forced to quicky diversify its energy supplies by buying from the US, Latin American, and Africa countries.

All of these have strengthened the anti-US constituency in India, and there are lingering concerns about the US’ reliability as a strategic partner. Many in India feel that the US is not behaving like a friendly country, much less as an esteemed strategic partner, as it pays no heed to India’s needs in Trump’s relentless pursuit of pleasing his domestic political base.

Rubio’s visit was primarily meant to assuage India’s legitimate anxieties and rebuild trust between New Delhi and Washington. This was evident from Rubio’s statements throughout the visit, where he appeared defensive, insisting that changes in US immigration or trade policy are global in nature and not India-specific.

He contended that India and the US are strategic partners, and that India is one of the US’ most important strategic partners. At the same time, Rubio also focused on dealing with the trade imbalance between the two countries, especially through more energy and defence imports from the US and more co-operation in critical minerals supplies.

Rubio also held a meeting with the QUAD foreign ministers in a bid to reassure them that the US continues to be invested in the Indo-Pacific though the US National Security Strategy 2026 strongly pitches the US’ strategic focus on the Western hemisphere. However, there was no mention about when the next Quad leaders’ summit would be held, adding to the perception that the grouping no longer finds resonance in Washington.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar pushed back at the US’ defence of the ‘America First’ policy by stating that India believes in an India First policy. The message was clear: India is not willing to cater to every wish of the US at the expense of its strategic autonomy or domestic needs, and the US cannot take India for granted. For good measure, he made a realist assessment that in areas where India's and the US’ views don’t converge, the two countries would have to manage those situations.

This is certainly a far cry from the heyday of India-US relations when everything seemed hunky-dory and it appeared they were drifting towards an alliance, buoyed by the need to respond to China’s rise. Today, there needs to be a realisation in India that the structural logic of the US-China relationship, regardless of who is in the White House, will pull the two countries towards a bilateral management framework to the exclusion of other countries, including India. New Delhi can only react to rather than shape the course of US-China relations.

Rubio’s mission may have been to steady the India-US boat and to reassure New Delhi about Washington’s trustworthiness. That, however, would require more than just a visit by the secretary of state. There needs to be sustained engagement at all levels, including people-to-people ties. So long as the Trump administration behaves like a lone wolf in international relations, questions will remain over its reliability, and the trust deficit will remain, not just in India but among other partners of the US as well. 

Uma Purushothaman is Associate Professor, Centre for the Study of the Americas, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. X:X: @Uma_IRteacher.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.