Mumbai, October 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the United States would hold discussions with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on increasing crude oil imports from Venezuela for processing at the company’s refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The issue is significant because Venezuelan oilfields produce heavy crude that many refineries are not equipped to process. Reliance’s refinery on the Gujarat coast has the technological capabilities required to process this type of crude.
Rubio began his three-day visit to India after arriving in Mumbai, where he met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Gateway of India.
His discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar covered ongoing trade negotiations, energy cooperation, technology partnerships, critical minerals and policy issues concerning Russian and Venezuelan crude imports.
India and the United States are expected to advance cooperation in trade, energy, investment, defence and critical technologies during the visit.
This is Rubio’s second visit to India in 2026. He recently indicated that a comprehensive trade agreement between the two countries was almost complete, raising the possibility of the deal being signed during his visit.
Last week, US President Donald Trump waived potential tariffs that had been proposed as a punitive measure against countries purchasing Russian crude oil, including India.
Trump issued an executive order waiving a proposed 100 per cent tariff on the five largest importers of Russian oil. India, the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian crude after China, would have been among the countries affected.
Rubio said efforts to finalise a trade agreement with India had been a factor in the decision to waive the tariffs.
The US Secretary of State also defended India’s continued purchases of Russian energy, describing the country as an important American ally and partner.
“You’ve got countries like India, for example, that have voluntarily diversified their energy portfolio, but are still getting a substantial amount of energy from Russia because it’s hard to pivot from one day to the next,” Rubio said.
“But they’re also an important ally and partner of the United States,” he added.
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