Ambassador Sergio Gor on India energy

Ambassador Sergio Gor said on May 20 that India was receptive to buying more U.S. energy as the Trump administration prepared for Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India later this week. In a phone interview with Bloomberg, Gor said India had been “receptive to diversification,” which he said meant buying more American energy. The State Department said on May 19 that Rubio would travel to India from May 23 to May 26 and discuss energy security, trade and defense cooperation with senior Indian officials. ### What exactly did Sergio Gor say? Sergio Gor told Bloomberg on May 20 that India had been receptive to a shift in sourcing. “India has been receptive to diversification, and what that means is buying more American energy,” Gor said, according to Bloomberg. He added that people in India had been “very receptive to buying from the United States.” (bloomberg.com) The remarks put energy trade at the center of the administration’s message ahead of Rubio’s India stop. Bloomberg reported that the administration wanted to boost U.S. energy exports to India as the secretary began a multi-day trip to the country. ### What is on Rubio’s India itinerary? The State Department said on May 19 that Rubio would travel to India from May 23-26 after a stop in Sweden. (bloomberg.com) The department said he would visit Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi. Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, the State Department spokesperson, said Rubio would discuss “energy security, trade, and defense cooperation” in meetings with senior Indian officials. (bloomberg.com) The department did not identify specific counterparts in the travel notice. ### Why is energy featuring so prominently? India is one of the world’s largest energy importers, and official Indian data show continued dependence on imported crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas. (state.gov) India’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell said total crude oil imports for the latest reported 12-month period were 245.381 million metric tons, while LNG import data are published separately in its monthly gas reports. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says India is the world’s third-largest energy consumer and relies heavily on imports to meet oil and gas demand. That import dependence has made supply diversification a recurring policy issue for Indian buyers and officials. ### Is this only about oil and LNG? Bloomberg’s account focused on American energy exports, including oil and liquefied natural gas, and the social-media briefing tied Gor’s comments to diversification and export opportunities for U.S. suppliers. (ppac.gov.in) Separately, Indian and regional reports on May 21 said Gor had also pointed to possible expansion in civil nuclear cooperation, though those reports were outside the Bloomberg interview on oil and gas. (eia.gov) That broader energy framing matches the State Department’s travel notice, which grouped energy security with trade and defense cooperation rather than presenting it as a stand-alone issue. ### What happens next? Rubio’s next formal step is his India trip from May 23 through May 26, according to the State Department. (bloomberg.com) The department said the secretary’s meetings in Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi would cover energy security, trade and defense cooperation, making those sessions the next public venue for any new U.S.-India energy announcements. (state.gov)