US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is rapidly emerging as a global power and is increasingly shaping decisions on the international stage. Speaking in an exclusive interview at the White House on 27 June, Rubio described India as a 'close partner and ally' of the United States and said the personal rapport between Modi and President Donald Trump 'couldn't be closer.'

Rubio on Modi and India's Global Rise

Rubio was unequivocal in his praise for the Indian Prime Minister. 'We're enormous fans of Prime Minister Modi and what he's done,' he said. 'He leads a country that's making incredible gains economically. And it's really coming into its own, as sort of a global power, a country that's increasingly accounted for on decisions being made on the global stage.'

The remarks reflect a broader shift in Washington's posture toward New Delhi — one that frames India not merely as a regional counterweight to China, but as a consequential actor in the emerging multipolar order.

Trade Deal and Presidential Visit on the Horizon

Rubio indicated that a bilateral trade deal between the two countries is in its final stages. 'We're on the last inches of getting it done and it's very positive,' he said, referring to discussions that followed a meeting between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G7. He added that a Quad meeting is expected before the end of the year, and that a Presidential visit to India is being planned for 'the early parts of next year' — tentatively early 2026.

Notably, this would mark President Trump's first visit to India in his second term, and only his second ever — a signal of the relationship's elevated priority in US foreign policy.

Energy Security: US Eyes a Bigger Role

On India's energy needs — strained by ongoing West Asia conflict disruptions — Rubio said the US wants to be part of India's long-term energy diversification strategy. He pointed to a specific and less-discussed avenue: facilitating Venezuelan crude exports to India. 'India is one of the few countries in the world with their ability to refine the heavy crude that Venezuela produces,' Rubio said, adding that Washington is working with Caracas to increase production capacity. He also cited the Trump administration's Middle East diplomacy as partly motivated by a desire to 'see more fuel enter the marketplace for our allies.'

This comes amid sustained pressure on global energy markets following the Russia-Ukraine war and regional instability in West Asia, both of which have complicated India's import calculus.

Shared Interests Binding the Two Democracies

Rubio outlined a broad convergence of interests between the world's oldest and largest democracies — the United States and India respectively — spanning economics, supply chains, critical minerals, energy, security, and freedom of navigation. 'These are all issues that bind us together,' he said. He also highlighted the role of the Indian-American community as an additional human link between the two nations.

As the India-US partnership deepens across trade, energy, and strategic alignment, the coming months — with a potential Presidential visit and a Quad summit — are set to be a defining period for bilateral ties.