US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to ease Indian concerns over the Trump administration’s tariff policies and tighter visa measures during his visit to India, stressing that neither initiative is intended to punish India or single it out.

Speaking during his second visit to India in less than five months, Rubio emphasised that the India-US relationship remains a major priority for Washington despite differences over trade and energy policy.

He expressed confidence that the long-negotiated India-US trade agreement is nearing completion, stating that the two sides are "weeks, not months" away from finalising the deal. According to Rubio, around 99 per cent of the work has been completed, with only a handful of technical issues still being resolved.

Rubio acknowledged that Washington’s legislation allowing tariffs of up to 100 per cent on buyers of Russian energy has created concern in New Delhi. However, he insisted the policy is linked to broader US efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict rather than a desire to harm India.

Referring to President Donald Trump’s recent decision to grant waivers instead of imposing the tariffs, Rubio said the administration recognised the potential damage such measures could cause to one of America’s most important strategic partnerships. He noted that the decision attracted criticism within the United States, but was taken partly to protect ties with India.

Addressing concerns over tougher US immigration policies and visa restrictions, Rubio rejected suggestions that Indians were being disproportionately targeted. He said the measures form part of a global effort to overhaul an immigration system that had suffered from years of inadequate enforcement.

Rubio argued that complaints about visa procedures are common across the world and maintained that the reforms are intended to create a more sustainable system that will ultimately benefit both applicants and the United States.

His visit to India, held from 20 to 21 October at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, focused on advancing cooperation across trade, defence, technology and energy security. Both governments reviewed progress across the strategic partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to concluding the proposed bilateral trade agreement at the earliest opportunity.

The discussions also come against the backdrop of expanding India-US cooperation through the Quad, growing collaboration in critical technologies, and efforts by both countries to deepen energy and commercial ties while managing differences over Russian oil imports and trade policies.

Agencies