U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the city of Jamnagar in Gujarat, India, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, to meet with Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani. The visit focused on the Jamnagar oil-refining complex to discuss the possibility of processing increased quantities of Venezuelan crude oil.
The diplomatic stop followed a meeting between Rubio and India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Mumbai on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The U.S. administration is encouraging India to diversify its energy sources away from Russian imports while seeking markets for expanded Venezuelan oil production. Reliance Industries already participates in U.S. energy projects, including a proposed $300 billion refinery project in Brownsville, Texas, announced by President Donald Trump in March 2026.
Rubio told reporters in Mumbai that India possesses the technical capability to refine heavy crude, which is characteristic of Venezuelan oil. The Jamnagar facility has a crude processing capacity of approximately 1.4 million barrels per day. Beyond fuels like gasoline and diesel, the complex produces petrochemical byproducts used in manufacturing plastics and synthetic fibers.
For ordinary citizens, Rubio stated that increasing Venezuelan oil processing could provide short-term relief for global supply disruptions caused by conflicts in the Middle East and threats to shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz. The goal is to stabilize supplies to prevent economic instability linked to energy shortages.
The move comes as the U.S. explores using Indian refining capacity to facilitate the re-entry of Venezuelan oil into the global market while attempting to reduce Russian market share. The next steps involve ongoing negotiations between U.S. officials and Reliance Industries regarding processing agreements. While Rubio met with Ambani on Oct. 21, the effective dates for any new shipping or refining contracts resulting from the visit were not reported.