Rubio to meet Mukesh Ambani, signalling steady US ties despite Musk’s criticism

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani during his visit to India next week, highlighting Washington’s continued engagement with the conglomerate, according to a report in Bloomberg News.

Rubio will travel to Jamnagar in Gujarat, home to the world’s largest oil refining complex, where he is expected to meet Reliance executives, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi on Thursday.

Rubio will visit India from October 17 to 22, including a stop in Mumbai. The US State Department said earlier this week that he would meet senior government officials and discuss greater energy cooperation and strengthening the bilateral partnership.

The visit comes seven months after US President Donald Trump announced that Reliance would support the construction of America’s first major new oil refinery in nearly 50 years. The development marks a shift in Washington’s approach after US officials last year criticised “India’s politically connected energy titans” for benefiting from discounted Russian crude amid the Ukraine war.

“We’re also very proud because they’re opening the first refinery in the United States in 50 years,” Gor said Thursday. “That is something that has not happened in many decades. It’s happening with this administration. It’s happening because we’ve engaged.”

Reliance’s role in US energy plans

The proposed US refinery will be designed to process around 168,000 barrels of American shale oil daily. Reliance has also signed a 20-year agreement to purchase fuel produced at the facility.

Although Washington did not explicitly name Reliance when it criticised Indian refiners last year, the comments were widely interpreted as referring to major industry players, including Ambani’s company.

The renewed engagement underscores Reliance’s position in the evolving global energy landscape and its importance to US energy investment plans.

Musk’s criticism adds another dimension

Rubio’s anticipated meeting comes amid an escalating public dispute between Musk and Ambani over satellite internet services in India.

In a post on X on Friday, Musk sarcastically referred to Ambani as India’s “prime minister” and accused him of protecting Reliance’s telecom business from competition as SpaceX’s Starlink awaits approval to launch commercial services in the country.

Musk argued that Starlink could connect underserved communities, expand educational opportunities for children and help small businesses reach global customers. He questioned whether Ambani would allow the service to compete, alleging that Reliance benefits from a monopolistic position.

India’s Ministry of Communications has rejected Musk’s earlier allegations of regulatory interference, saying Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators were undergoing security assessments at broadly the same stage before receiving satellite spectrum.

Starlink has secured key regulatory clearances but is yet to receive approval for commercial operations. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are also pursuing satellite internet services, intensifying competition in the emerging market.

Against this backdrop, Rubio’s expected interaction with Ambani underscores Washington’s continued engagement with Reliance as the US seeks to deepen energy ties with India.