US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the White House in the near future on behalf of US President Donald Trump, signalling a renewed push to deepen ties between New Delhi and Washington despite tensions over trade in recent months.The invitation was announced by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor following Rubio’s meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi on Saturday. Gor described the discussions as “productive”, saying both sides explored ways to expand cooperation in security, trade and critical technologies while advancing a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.PM Modi later confirmed the meeting in a post on X, saying he was “happy to receive” Rubio and that the two leaders discussed the “sustained progress” in the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, along with regional and global peace and security issues. The Prime Minister added that India and the United States would continue working closely “for the global good”.Rubio, who is on a four-day visit to India, arrived earlier in Kolkata with his wife Jeanette D Rubio before travelling to the national capital. He also visited the Missionaries of Charity headquarters, known as the Mother Teresa House, alongside Gor. The ambassador said the visit reflected the “shared values and the spirit of selfless service that transcends borders” between the two countries.The US Secretary of State is scheduled to hold talks with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and participate in the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi this week.Before leaving for India, Rubio described India as a “great partner” and said Washington wanted to expand energy cooperation with New Delhi. “We want to sell them as much energy as they’ll buy,” Rubio said while speaking to reporters in Miami.
