‘Good conversation’: Jaishankar speaks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, discusses trade, defence

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said he had a “good conversation” with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during which the two discussed a range of key bilateral and strategic issues.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said the talks covered trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy. He added that both sides agreed to remain in touch on these and other issues.

Just concluded a good conversation with @SecRubio.

Discussed trade, critical minerals, nuclear cooperation, defence and energy. Agreed to remain in touch on these and other issues. 🇮🇳 🇺🇸 — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 13, 2026

The telephonic conversation took place a day after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor assumed charge in New Delhi on Monday.

Soon after taking office, Gor said that the two leaders could meet next month, signalling continued high-level engagement between New Delhi and Washington.

Earlier on Monday, the US envoy announced that India would be invited to join Pax Silica, a US-led strategic initiative aimed at securing critical supply chains across silicon, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.

Rooted in cooperation with what Washington describes as trusted partners, Pax Silica seeks to reduce coercive dependencies, safeguard materials and capabilities vital to artificial intelligence, and enable aligned nations to develop and deploy emerging technologies at scale.

US officials have described the initiative as part of a new economic security paradigm, driven by the belief that secure supply chains, trusted technologies, and strategic infrastructure are central to national power and long-term economic growth.

Gor also underlined the importance of sustained engagement between India and the US, even amid differences.

“Real friends can disagree but always resolve their differences,” he said, adding that “both sides continue to be actively engaged.”

Reiterating Washington’s intent to move forward on trade talks, Gor said, “We are determined to get a trade deal,” and indicated that negotiations would continue without pause.

His remarks come at a sensitive juncture for India-US trade ties, with negotiations yet to yield a breakthrough. US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer recently visited New Delhi with his team to review the talks. The latest two-day round of negotiations concluded on December 11, 2025.

Indian industry bodies and exporters are closely tracking developments, as high import duties continue to impact shipments to the US. While exporters are exploring alternative markets, the US remains critical for India, accounting for around 18 per cent of its total exports.

In February 2025, leaders of both countries had directed officials to finalise the trade deal, intending to conclude the first tranche by fall 2025. The broader goal is to raise bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. The US was India’s largest trading partner in 2024–25, with bilateral trade valued at $131.84 billion.