US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the United States will provide energy exports to India to help counter the impact of the ongoing energy crisis triggered by the Iran war and the wider West Asia conflict.
Rubio, who is a on a three-day India visit, held a high-level meeting with PM Modi at the Seva Teerth in New Delhi, with discussions between the two ranging from security and trade to the situation in West Asia.
What did Rubio tell PM Modi about US energy exports to India?
In a statement, US State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, referring to Rubio’s meeting with PM Modi, said the Secretary of State underscored the strategic importance of the US-India partnership, the strong personal ties between the US President and Prime Minister Modi, as well as the profound economic and commercial opportunities for the two sides.
“The Secretary and the Prime Minister discussed the current situation in the Middle East. The Secretary emphasised that the United States will not let Iran hold the global energy market hostage and affirmed that US energy products have the potential to diversify India’s energy supply,” Pigott said.
The US State Department said Secretary Rubio and PM Modi agreed to deepen trade and defence cooperation and accelerate collaboration on critical and emerging technologies.
After the meeting with the prime minister, Rubio, addressing an event at the US embassy, described India as an “incredibly important partner” for the US and indicated that the two sides are planning to make certain important announcements in the coming months to further solidify relations.
Will India collaborate with US on Venezuelan oil?
Notably, before arriving in India, Rubio had hinted that the Trump administration intended to expand US energy exports to New Delhi. Talking to reporters in Miami on Friday before departing for Sweden and India, Rubio said Washington wanted to sell India “as much energy as they’ll buy”.
“We want to be able to do more. We were already in talks with them to do more. We want them to be a bigger part of their portfolio,” Rubio had said, referring to the decline in India’s energy imports due to the West Asia war.
The US Secretary of State also at the possibility of India’s cooperation involving Venezuelan crude oil. We also think there are opportunities with Venezuelan oil. In fact, it’s my understanding that the interim president of Venezuela will be travelling to India next week as well,” he said.
Why US is seeking export destinations?
Notably, the US has ramped up oil and gas production in recent years, and Washington is now looking to boost its energy exports to major consumers such as India, particularly as Asian economies look for stable and reliable energy suppliers amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Rubio’s remarks come as global energy markets continue to witness instability amid the dueling blockade by US and Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway in the Persian Gulf through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas flows.
India imports roughly 90 percent of its crude oil and 60 percent of its gas needs, largely from the Gulf, has been particularly hit due to the blockade of Hormuz, with energy imports dropping significantly since the Iran war erupted.
(With inputs from agencies)
First published on: May 23, 2026 09:09 PM IST
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