US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said President Donald Trump could visit India early next year, with Rubio himself planning a return trip before the end of 2025 to lay the groundwork for a presidential visit. Rubio made the remarks in an interview with IANS in Washington on Friday, signaling a notable step forward in India-US diplomatic engagement.
Rubio Sets the Stage for a Presidential Visit
“We’re hoping that’s what we’re working towards — sometime early next year to have the President come,” Rubio told IANS. He added that he looks forward to returning to India before the end of the year to help prepare for a potential Trump visit.
If Trump travels to India, it would be his first visit there during his second term. Trump last set foot in India in February 2020 during his first term. India was due to host a Quad leaders’ summit last year, but Trump ultimately cancelled those travel plans.
Rubio also signaled renewed multilateral engagement, saying the US looks forward to re-engaging in another Quad meeting soon.
Modi-Trump Ties and the Evian Meeting
The diplomatic signals come weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian in June 2025, their first face-to-face interaction in 16 months. At that meeting, the two leaders discussed the India-US COMPACT framework, the US-Iran peace agreement, and ongoing bilateral trade negotiations. The US extended an invitation for Modi to visit Washington, and Trump pledged to visit India at some point in the future.
Modi had made a state visit to the US in February 2024, shortly after Trump’s inauguration for his second term.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor offered a candid glimpse of Trump’s own enthusiasm, recounting a recent Oval Office conversation. “One of the things the President asked about is, so when am I coming?” Gor said, adding that while exact dates have not been set, Trump is clearly keen to make the trip. Gor described the personal chemistry between the two leaders as central to the relationship, calling the bond between Trump and Modi “one of the biggest anchors of this relationship.”
Trade Deal Progress and Energy Ties
Alongside the diplomatic momentum, both sides are working to finalize an interim trade agreement. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer travelled to India shortly after the Evian summit and met with Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi. Ambassador Gor said a handful of issues remain, mostly around language, but expressed optimism. “We are confident that over the next few weeks and months, it will get done,” he said.
Rubio also highlighted energy cooperation as a growing pillar of the bilateral relationship. He noted that India has been focused on diversifying its energy sources and said the US wants to be part of that effort. He added that Washington is working with Venezuela to increase its oil production capacity, pointing out that India is one of a small number of countries capable of refining Venezuelan heavy crude. Venezuela has re-emerged as a major crude oil supplier for India, recently overtaking Saudi Arabia in that role.
On concerns about H-1B visa scrutiny and reported hate crimes in the United States, Gor sought to reassure Indian audiences, saying such issues are not directed at India specifically.
