US Secretary of State Marco Rubio lands in India on October 20 to discuss trade, Russian oil, and defence after a recent tariff waiver.

Rubio lands in Mumbai on Tuesday afternoon, fresh from Uzbekistan. He sits down with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at about 4 pm.

It is his second India trip since May. India’s Ministry of External Affairs says energy, trade and investment, defence and new technologies will come up.

The trade deal sits at the centre. Rubio has called it close, and India says the first phase is done and in legal drafting.

Reports differ on how near the finish line is, and nobody has confirmed a signing during this trip. Russian oil adds a second layer.

A law signed in September lets Washington put tariffs of up to 100% on big buyers of Russian crude, India included.

Days ago, President Donald Trump waived those provisions. Rubio said the trade talks played a part in that decision.

He added that the US will use a 60-day window to judge whether new tariffs are needed, and he noted that India finds it hard to change oil suppliers quickly.

His Mumbai schedule also includes remembrance and celebration. Rubio plans to pay tribute at the Taj Mahal Palace memorial for the victims of the November 2008 attacks.

Later he joins Jaishankar, the guest of honour, at an event marking 250 years of American independence.

On Wednesday, he meets business leaders, investors and bankers in Mumbai.

Later in the trip he heads to Gujarat to see Reliance Industries’ Jamnagar complex, one of the world’s largest refineries.

He is expected to meet chairman Mukesh Ambani. Reliance is also investing in a refinery planned for Texas.

The two sides may also discuss meetings between their leaders at next month’s ASEAN Summit in Manila and the G20 Summit in the US.

People familiar with the plans told sources the talks aim to keep relations moving on trade, energy, technology and critical minerals.

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