NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai on October 20 to explore ways to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday.
The meeting will take place during Rubio's visit to India, which forms part of his October 17-22 overseas tour covering Uzbekistan and India. The discussions are expected to provide an opportunity for both countries to review bilateral cooperation and identify areas for further engagement, particularly as Washington seeks to deepen energy cooperation with New Delhi.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the meeting during his bi-weekly media briefing when asked about Jaishankar's engagements during his forthcoming visit to Mumbai.
"On October 19-20, 2026, the external affairs minister will host in Mumbai the deputy prime minister and the foreign minister of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for an official visit. On October 20, the external affairs minister will hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and attend the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Independence of the United States as a Guest of Honour," Jaiswal said.
He added that the meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio would allow both sides to discuss ways to bolster the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐
The US Department of State had announced on Tuesday that Rubio would travel to India the following week as part of efforts to further strengthen energy cooperation between the two countries.
According to the announced itinerary, Rubio will first visit Samarkand in Uzbekistan before travelling to Mumbai and Jamnagar in India during his October 17-22 tour.
The visit comes as India and the United States continue their diplomatic engagement under the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, which provides the framework for cooperation across several sectors.
While the MEA has not announced a detailed agenda for the October 20 meeting, energy cooperation has been identified by Washington as an important focus of Rubio's visit.
The talks are also expected to provide an opportunity for the two foreign ministers to exchange views on the broader bilateral relationship and areas where cooperation can be strengthened.
๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ๐ ๐ ๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ถ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
US envoy Sergio Gor had indicated on Thursday that Rubio would meet senior Indian government officials during his visit to Mumbai.
Speaking at an interactive session at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Gor said the US Secretary of State was scheduled to hold meetings with Indian officials and that Jaishankar was expected to participate.
"We expect that minister Dr S Jaishankar will be there," Gor said.
The MEA's confirmation on Friday established October 20 as the date for the meeting between the two leaders.
Rubio's visit will also coincide with celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, which Jaishankar is scheduled to attend as the Guest of Honour.
The commemorative event will form part of the external affairs minister's official engagements in Mumbai alongside his bilateral diplomatic meetings.
๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ
Apart from the meeting with Rubio, Jaishankar will host UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan during his official visit to Mumbai on October 19 and 20.
The UAE minister's visit will take place immediately before and during the scheduled India-US discussions, making Mumbai the venue for a series of high-level diplomatic engagements.
The meetings reflect India's continuing engagement with major strategic partners, including the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
The MEA has confirmed the schedule of the two visits but has not disclosed detailed agendas or possible outcomes of the discussions.
The October 20 meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio will be closely watched for indications of the next steps in India-US cooperation, particularly in the energy sector and the wider strategic partnership.