Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, on the sidelines of regional diplomatic engagements in the Philippine capital. The two ministers reviewed priority areas under the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, spanning trade and tariffs, energy, defence and security, critical minerals, and artificial intelligence.

Context

Dr. Jaishankar confirmed the meeting on X, writing: 'Pleased to meet Secretary Rubio of the USA here in Manila. Our meeting focused on areas which are priority for the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, including trade and tariffs, energy, defence and security, critical minerals and artificial intelligence.' He added that the two sides also 'exchanged quick perspectives on regional, global and multilateral issues of mutual interest.'

Manila has become a regular venue for high-level diplomatic exchanges, particularly on the margins of ASEAN and East Asia Summit-related gatherings. The meeting underscores the growing practice of India and the United States using regional forums to advance their bilateral agenda without waiting for dedicated bilateral summits.

Policy Backdrop

The Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership was formalised at the 2023 Modi-Biden summit in Washington DC, elevating a relationship that had already deepened through the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement of 2008 and the signing of the last of the four foundational defence pacts — BECA — in 2020.

The Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), launched in January 2023, has since anchored cooperation on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and critical minerals — three of the domains explicitly named in Wednesday's meeting. Trade and tariff discussions have grown more prominent as both governments navigate complex economic interdependencies and supply-chain priorities.

India and the United States have also expanded their annual 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, which brings together foreign and defence ministers from both sides, as a key institutional mechanism for reviewing the full breadth of the partnership.

Stakeholders and Impact

The agenda items touch directly on India's defence forces, which have deepened interoperability with US counterparts through joint exercises and growing defence trade. The technology and energy sectors in both countries stand to benefit from any forward movement on critical minerals sourcing and AI standards under the iCET framework.

Indian industry, particularly in semiconductors and clean energy, is closely watching for signals on market access and tariff relief that could emerge from ministerial-level engagements such as this one. Indo-Pacific maritime security — a shared priority — is also likely to have featured in the 'regional and multilateral issues' the two ministers discussed.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the next India-US 2+2 Ministerial and any follow-up announcements under the iCET framework on AI governance or critical minerals supply-chain agreements. Progress on the trade and tariff front discussed in Manila may be reflected in upcoming bilateral trade policy reviews or dedicated ministerial visits to New Delhi or Washington DC.

The Manila meeting signals that both governments intend to keep the pace of high-level engagement steady, using every available diplomatic window — including regional multilateral forums — to advance their comprehensive strategic agenda.