US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit India for two days next week. During the visit, he will spend around nine hours at Reliance Industries’ refinery complex in Gujarat, where he will also meet Reliance chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani. According to media reports, Reliance Industries is preparing to make a major investment in an oil refinery in Texas, USA. This is why the meeting is considered significant. Rubio to arrive in Mumbai on 20 October According to Rubio’s scheduled programme, he will first arrive in Mumbai on 20 October. He will leave for Jamnagar on 21 October. There, he will meet Mukesh Ambani and inspect the refinery complex. He may also visit the ‘Vantara’ Wildlife and Animal Rehabilitation Centre. Will also meet chairmen of Adani and Tata groups Before leaving for Gujarat, the US Secretary of State is also scheduled to meet some of India’s other leading industrialists. He will hold talks with industrialist Gautam Adani and Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran. The discussions will focus on increasing trade and investment between the two countries. Rubio’s Jamnagar visit explained in 5 points 1. Diesel prices soar in the US, pressure mounts ahead of elections Midterm elections are due to be held in the US this coming November, while diesel prices there have risen sharply. According to Arpit Chaturvedi, South Asia adviser at strategic firm Teneo, the Trump administration wants to increase the supply of fuel in the market by any means so that prices can come down. 2. Jamnagar refinery could become the US’s source of support Reliance’s refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat, exports petrol and diesel to foreign countries on a very large scale. Arpit Chaturvedi says Jamnagar’s export capacity could prove highly beneficial to the United States. The US is considering the option of buying refined products such as diesel from there. 3. Mukesh Ambani’s strong ties with the Trump administration In March this year, President Donald Trump thanked Reliance for investing in the first new refinery project in the US in 50 years. Outside the US, Reliance has also become the second-largest company buying crude oil from Venezuela. 4. The connection between the new refinery in Texas and the midterm elections According to Atman Trivedi, a partner at Washington-based consulting firm ‘DGA Allbright Stonebridge Group’, Rubio will use his visit to highlight Reliance’s plans for a new, large refinery in Texas. Texas is currently the main centre of US midterm election politics. 5. Jamnagar Is the World’s Largest Refinery According to Reliance, the Jamnagar refinery is the world’s largest and most advanced refinery built at a single location. It has the capacity to process 14 lakh barrels of crude oil every day. Post navigation Festive bonanza for Indian Post employees:Govt to give them 2 months’ salary as bonus iPhone fold sold out within an hour pre-order begins:Base variant prices start at ₹2.99 lakh; check here for offers
