US Secretary of State Marco Rubio began his first India visit with a stop in Kolkata, ahead of key discussions on QUAD, defence, trade and energy cooperation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday ahead of high-level meetings in New Delhi and the upcoming QUAD foreign ministers’ summit. | X/@USAmbIndia
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday for his first official visit to India, with discussions on trade, defence, energy security and Indo-Pacific cooperation expected to dominate his engagements over the next few days.
Rubio’s visit comes at a time when India and the United States are deepening strategic coordination across multiple sectors, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. The visit also precedes the QUAD foreign ministers’ meeting scheduled to be held in New Delhi on May 26.
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The US Secretary of State, accompanied by his wife Jeanette D Rubio, visited the Mother House in central Kolkata, the global headquarters of Saint Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, shortly after arriving in the city. The couple later also visited Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, a children’s home run by the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa in 1950.
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Rubio’s arrival marks the first visit by a US Secretary of State to Kolkata in 14 years. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had visited the city in May 2012.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor received Rubio at the Kolkata airport and later confirmed the visit through a post on X.
“Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is his first trip to India. Later today, we will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Trade, Technology, Defence, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!” Gor posted.
#WATCH | West Bengal: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata this morning.
(Video: US Network Pool via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/NQGH1SwD81
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2026
#WATCH | West Bengal: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives at the Mother Teresa House Of The Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/cFxBQ1AUCC
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2026
Rubio is expected to hold meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Indian leaders during his stay in the country.
According to US officials, the visit is aimed at advancing cooperation in strategic sectors including defence partnerships, emerging technologies, energy security and trade.
The US Secretary of State is scheduled to tour Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi between May 23 and May 26 as part of his India itinerary.
The visit also comes amid heightened geopolitical churn across West Asia and the Indo-Pacific, with New Delhi preparing to host the foreign ministers of QUAD nations — India, the United States, Australia and Japan.
Official communication from the Ministry of External Affairs said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will chair the QUAD foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi are expected to participate in the high-level dialogue.
Alongside the QUAD discussions, the visiting foreign ministers are also expected to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hold bilateral meetings with Jaishankar.
“In keeping with the Quad vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, the ministers will build on discussions held in Washington DC on July 1, 2025,” the MEA said.
Ahead of his India visit, Rubio had indicated that Washington was keen to significantly expand energy ties with New Delhi.
Interacting with reporters in Miami before departing for Sweden and India, Rubio said the United States was prepared to supply “as much energy” as India was willing to purchase.
He said high-level discussions had already begun between the two countries on increasing American oil and gas exports to India, especially at a time when global fuel markets remain volatile due to geopolitical tensions and maritime security concerns around the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio also suggested that Washington was looking to deepen its role in India’s energy supply chain and hinted at possible collaborative arrangements involving Venezuelan crude.
Calling India a “great partner”, Rubio stressed the need for stronger bilateral engagement across sectors under increasingly uncertain global conditions.
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