Marco Rubio set for India visit amid upcoming Quad talks in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: India will host a meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to attend the gathering, the US Embassy in New Delhi said on Tuesday.The embassy, however, did not specify the dates for the ministerial-level meeting involving India, the United States, Japan and Australia.In a statement, the embassy said it looked forward to welcoming Rubio “for his first visit to India, ministerial Quad meetings, high level engagements, and celebrating 250 years of America”.US Ambassador Sergio Gor had earlier indicated that Rubio would arrive in New Delhi over the weekend.The Quad grouping is widely seen as a strategic counterweight to China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean and the broader Indo-Pacific region. The alliance was first envisioned by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who advocated closer cooperation among democratic nations surrounding China. Beijing has repeatedly criticised the grouping, alleging that it is aimed at containing China.Rubio had hosted his Quad counterparts in July 2025, when the four nations launched a Quad “Critical Minerals Initiative” focused on securing and diversifying supply chains amid growing concerns over China’s dominance in critical mineral resources essential for emerging technologies.China currently controls significant reserves of several strategic minerals, including the majority of the world’s graphite supplies, a key component used in electric vehicle batteries.Despite converging interests on China, Quad members have differed on several global conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the recent attacks involving Iran.India last week hosted foreign ministers of the BRICS grouping, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov among those who attended.