New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to hold a bilateral meeting with his American counterpart Marco Rubio and also meet other senior officials on Tuesday and Wednesday in the US, as he departs for a three-day visit to attend the critical minerals ministerial convened by the Secretary of State.
Jaishankar’s visit presents an opportunity for New Delhi to troubleshoot the downturn in ties between India and the US over the last half year primarily due to serious differences over trade and tariffs.
“External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will visit the United States from 02-04 February 2026 to participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by U.S. Secretary of State Mr. Marco Rubio. The Ministerial will focus on supply chain resilience, clean energy transitions, and strategic cooperation in critical minerals,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement Monday.
Jaishankar is set to hold discussions with Rubio after almost three months. The two had last met on the margins of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Niagara, Canada on 11 November 2025.
Jaishankar and Rubio have kept communication channels open, with the two speaking on call earlier last month, discussing the “ongoing bilateral trade agreement negotiations and their shared interest in strengthening economic cooperation”.
Rubio also welcomed the ‘Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) bill’, as a way to boost civil nuclear cooperation between India and the US. However, people familiar with the matter have pointed out that any return to a positive trajectory in the bilateral relationship remains in the hands of American President Donald Trump.
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Pax Silica
Ahead of his visit to the US, Jaishankar met with the new American Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on 29 January, where the two discussed issues in sectors such as “defence, trade, critical minerals and working towards common interests.”
Gor’s arrival to New Delhi in early January set the stage for India’s invitation to Pax Silica, the US’ latest critical minerals and advanced technology programme to build resilient supply chains and reduce dependencies on particular economies. A number of countries, including Greece, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have signed up to the initiative.
India’s participation in Pax Silica and signing of the declaration has not been confirmed yet. However, it is expected to figure during Jaishankar’s meeting with Rubio. Other issues expected to be discussed include the ongoing bilateral trade negotiations, regional and global challenges, including the situations in West Asia.
Ties took a nosedive last year when Trump imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on the import of Indian goods, and a further 25 per cent “penalty” tariff at the end of August 2025 due to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. However, US officials have been indicating the additional 25 per cent tariffs may be removed due to the reduction in purchases of Russian energy by Indian oil companies.
India and the US have been unable to sign any sort of agreement on trade, despite almost a year of negotiations. The two sides were close to a deal in July last year, which fell through. The negotiations have continued since, but there seems to be little movement for a conclusion at the moment.
Trump Saturday claimed that the US has struck a deal with India to purchase Venezuelan oil to reduce its dependence on Iranian energy sources, a move that has not been confirmed yet by New Delhi. India curbed its purchases of Iranian oil in 2019 after Trump began his “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.
However, India had a long-standing partnership with Caracas, including investing in its oil industry, before curtailing purchases as the US stepped up its efforts in 2018 and 2019 to force then President Nicolas Maduro from office.
Last year. Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on any country purchasing Venezuelan oil, further curbing the South American country as a potential energy source for India.
The India – US strategic relationship faced further challenges after Trump claimed credit for mediating a ceasefire between New Delhi and Islamabad to end the 87-hour conflict last May.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not met the American President since February 2025. The two have spoken to one another at the end of 2025, starting with Trump calling Modi to wish him on his birthday last September. The two leaders spoke eight times in 2025.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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