US Secretary of State Marco Rubio lands in Delhi ahead of Quad meeting

After landing in Delhi, he shared a post on X, saying: Landed in India. Looking forward to a great visit!

This is Rubio’s first official trip to India as the US seeks to reset and stabilise strained ties with India soured after Trump’s tariff policies, which raised export duties on several Indian goods, says the Associated Press.

Before landing in Delhi, Rubio visited Saint Teresa’s Mother House and children’s home  in Kolkata. He was welcomed by US Ambassador Sergio Gor. The trip marks an end to a 14-year gap since a US secretary of state last visited the city. Before this, Hillary Clinton visited Delhi in 2012.

On Sunday, Rubio is expected to meet India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. As part of his four-day visit to India, Rubio is scheduled to visit Agra and Jaipur. “There’s a lot to work on with India, they’re a great ally and partner. We do a lot of good work with them so this is an important trip,” Rubio said ahead of his visit to India.

Sergio Gor, the US ambassador in India, in a social media post said Rubio will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi later Saturday in New Delhi. “Trade, Technology, Defense, Quad, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!”

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On Tuesday in New Delhi, Rubio will participate in the ministerial meeting of the Indo-pacific strategic alliance of QUAD  that has repeatedly accused China of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims. However, Beijing maintains that China’s military presence is purely defensive to protect its sovereign rights and calls the Quad an attempt to contain its economic growth and influence.