US Secretary of State Mike Rubio Visits India to Bolster Ties Amid Trade Deal Friction

MUMBAI: US Secretary of State for the second time this year, as Washington seeks to bolster ties with a strategic partner despite months of friction over a trade deal. Rubio will meet senior Indian officials, but will bypass the Indian capital during the trip in the coming week. Instead, he will focus on investment and energy during visits to financial hub Mumbai and India's oil hub of Jamnagar, which is home to billionaire Mukesh Ambani's refining complex, the world's largest. The elephant in the room will be the inability by both countries to seal their long-awaited trade deal, experts say. Several factors, including US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz, friction over energy imports and Washington's warmer ties with India's arch-rival Pakistan have made it harder for negotiators to clinch an agreement. Rubio will start his six-day overseas trip on Saturday with a visit first to Uzbekistan before arriving in India, according to the US State Department. Here are some of the challenges the trade pact has faced and the road ahead.