Opinion | US-India Relations: Can Marco Rubio Fix It?

Updated: May 23, 2026 08:45 am IST Published On May 23, 2026 08:44 am IST Last Updated On May 23, 2026 08:45 am IST

Published On May 23, 2026 08:44 am IST

Last Updated On May 23, 2026 08:45 am IST

In the two-tiered Washington that is the second administration of US President Donald Trump, the top tier makes non-stop trouble, and the second tries to fix it. 

Marco Rubio, secretary of state and national security advisor, has arrived in India on his first visit as "Mr Fix It." He will attempt to calm Indian nerves and restore a sense that India (still) matters for a myriad geopolitical reasons even if it hasn't felt that way for one long year. On the side, he will talk business. Selling more US and Venezuelan oil for an India caught in a serious energy crisis caused by Trump's war against Iran is on his agenda. 

The job of select cabinet members is to recreate old friendly feelings, re-package the past and re-sell a future in Trumpian terms. They recognize the need for allies and partners even if their leader doesn't seem to - only fellow bullies and field marshals get serious presidential attention. 

It is in this spirit of repair and maintenance that Rubio's May 23-26 visit should be seen that takes him to Kolkata, Jaipur, Agra and Delhi. He will find that Indian diplomats have shed sentimentality in the year of living dangerously with Trump. The soft frame has changed -- it's all hardcore. No........

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