Watch: Marco Rubio on India ties, Iran warning and tackling terrorism from Pak

In an exclusive interview with India Today, Marco Rubio said India and the United States are in the final stages of a long-pending trade agreement and expressed confidence that the deal could be finalised within weeks. Rubio said the negotiations are focused not just on tariffs, but also on market access, modernising trade ties, boosting investments, strengthening supply chains, and expanding cooperation in emerging sectors. He noted that the agreement could create greater opportunities for co-investment between Indian and American companies and deepen the broader economic partnership between the two countries. Rubio also described India as one of America’s most important strategic allies and confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the United States for a standalone bilateral meeting in addition to the G20 summit. He highlighted stronger cooperation through the Quad on maritime security and critical minerals, spoke about managing complex ties with China, and addressed tensions involving Iran, stressing the need for serious negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Rubio further underlined the importance of counterterror cooperation with India and said the US wants to work with Pakistan against terror groups operating from its territory. He also praised US President Donald Trump as a leader committed to diplomacy while remaining firm on national security issues.