DA Editorial Desk | Dhruba Deka
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in India for the second time in five months, and the message he brought to Mumbai was encouraging. After meeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on 20 and 21 October, Mr Rubio said the two countries are nearly done with the proposed trade agreement, with only a few issues left. He called strategic alignment between the two countries on core issues “extraordinary”, while acknowledging that they will not agree on everything. Mr Jaishankar said ties have “come a long way” and called for a strong partnership against terrorism in all its forms. Mr Rubio also laid a wreath at the memorial to the 2008 Mumbai attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel.
This is welcome news, and it fits what officials in New Delhi have been saying. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said last week that the first tranche of the agreement is finalised and in legal drafting, while Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said signing would follow clarity on Washington’s tariff structure and its Section 301 investigations. Earlier this month, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the signing was not imminent and that sticking points remained. A senior American diplomat describing the deal as nearly done is therefore a useful signal that the sticking points are shrinking.
India’s approach should remain what it has been: firm, patient and focused on outcomes. A deal that is signed quickly but leaves Indian exporters facing uncertain tariffs would be worse than one that takes a few more weeks. The government has rightly insisted on a competitive tariff advantage before the agreement takes effect, and on protecting sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy.
Energy is the other theme of the visit. Mr Rubio called India a refining superpower, raised the possibility of larger Indian purchases of American oil, and said Washington wants more Venezuelan crude processed at Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery. He praised India’s progress in diversifying its oil purchases. Diversification is indeed sensible in a year when Brent has traded above 100 dollars, and more supply options help Indian refiners. But India should buy where the price, quality and reliability are best, and avoid creating a dependence on any single supplier or political arrangement.
The visit also includes meetings with leading Indian industrialists, a reminder that this relationship is increasingly about business and technology as much as diplomacy. Both sides now have a chance to turn warm words into signed text. India should welcome the goodwill, keep its negotiating position clear, and let the deal be judged by its terms.