Marco Rubio arrived in India on Saturday for a four-day visit aimed at strengthening energy ties as the global oil market faces disruption due to tensions with Iran.

Rubio touched down in Kolkata in the morning and will also visit Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra during his trip. His schedule includes a meeting with Narendra Modi Strait of Hormuz – a crucial global oil route – have slowed dramatically following attacks by Israel and the US on Iran earlier this year. Iran has leveraged the disruption in negotiations with Washington, heightening global supply concerns.

India, which relies on imports for over 80% of its energy needs, is among the hardest hit, with its population of 1.4 billion dependent on imported petroleum products and cooking gas.

Addressing the challenge, Rubio said, “We want to sell them [India] as much energy as they’ll buy. And obviously, you’ve seen, I think, we’re at historic levels of US production and US export.”

The visit underscores the US push to expand energy exports to Asia while offering India alternatives amid geopolitical uncertainty and disrupted supply routes.