Reliance Industries may discuss refining more Venezuelan crude with the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during his arrival in Mumbai on Tuesday, positioning India’s refining capacity as a potential link in future global oil supply.
Rubio said Washington would speak with Reliance Industries, owned by Mukesh Ambani, about refining additional Venezuelan crude. He also said the United States would discuss with the company the possibility of producing oil in Venezuela.
“India is a refining superpower. They have the capability to refine heavy crude. They’ve done so in the past, and I think as more and more Venezuelan oil comes online, it’s something they can do,” Rubio told journalists after landing in Mumbai.
The remarks place Reliance’s refining operations within a wider discussion on how additional Venezuelan production could reach international markets. Rubio said India had the capability to process heavy crude, a category of oil that requires specialised refining capacity. The statement did not specify the volume of crude under discussion, the proposed commercial structure or a timeline for any potential agreement.
Reliance operates one of the world’s largest refining complexes at Jamnagar in Gujarat, although the Economic Times report did not provide details of how the company’s existing facilities could be involved in the proposed discussions. It also did not say whether any formal agreement had been signed between the US government, Reliance Industries or Venezuelan entities.
Rubio began a three-day visit to India after arriving in Mumbai. Talks during the visit are expected to cover trade, energy, investment, defence and critical technologies. The discussions are taking place amid continuing tensions in the Middle East and previous strains in US-India relations over tariffs, immigration measures and differences over the handling of last year’s India-Pakistan military clashes.
Both countries have indicated that negotiations on a proposed bilateral trade deal are making progress, according to the report. The energy discussions add a commercial and infrastructure dimension to the visit, with India’s refining capacity being presented as a potential asset as Venezuelan oil production increases.
Rubio’s comments were made during his interaction with journalists in Mumbai. Further discussions with Reliance Industries on Venezuelan oil production and refining were expected to form part of the secretary’s three-day India visit.
