Dr Vivek Lall highlights India-US defence partnership after meeting Marco Rubio in Mumbai
Mumbai: Dr Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, has expressed confidence in further expansion of India-US cooperation in defence and nuclear energy, describing the relationship between the two countries as particularly significant for the world’s largest and oldest democracies.
Lall met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in Mumbai on Tuesday, as the two countries held discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation.
“An honour as always to meet our outstanding Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio as well as our brilliant Ambassador Sergio Gor last night in Mumbai. The US-India defense relationship has witnessed very significant growth. I am confident there are further huge strides that will be made in defense and nuclear energy in the future due to this most consequential bilateral relationship of the world’s largest and oldest democracies this century,” Lall said.
Marco Rubio India visit
Lall’s remarks came as Rubio met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss trade, energy security, defence, technology and regional developments. Both sides expressed their commitment to strengthening the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
The US State Department said Rubio emphasised the potential of increased American energy exports to diversify India’s supply chains and meet its growing energy needs. He also encouraged India to expand purchases of US technologies and defence systems.
The discussions covered civil nuclear cooperation and opportunities to deepen defence ties.
The two countries also reviewed negotiations on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement. Rubio said only a few issues remained unresolved and expressed hope that the agreement could be finalised soon.
Energy cooperation featured prominently in the talks, with Rubio highlighting India’s extensive oil-refining capabilities and discussing the possibility of processing more Venezuelan crude.
The meetings took place against the backdrop of strained bilateral relations over trade tariffs and immigration policies. Despite these differences, both governments reiterated their intention to advance cooperation across key sectors.