Rubio Likely to Visit India in October; Quad Summit on G20 Margins Being Explored

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit India in October, according to official sources. Preparations are also underway for a possible summit of Quad leaders in December, likely on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' meeting scheduled for December 14-15 at the Trump National Doral Miami in Florida.

The Quad, comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia, held a Sherpas' meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The meeting was attended by Sergio Gor, US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy to South and Central Asia; Elly Lawson from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and Hiroyuki Namazu, Japan's Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.

A joint statement from India's Ministry of External Affairs and the US State Department said the Sherpas reviewed progress on ongoing Quad initiatives and discussed ways to deepen practical cooperation, reaffirming a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Key areas of focus included maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response.

The Sherpas also exchanged views on developments in the Indo-Pacific and the broader regional context, and agreed to continue consultations ahead of the next Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Ambassador Gor, in a post on X, said the Quad is "moving forward with clear purpose" and that the Sherpas set an action plan for concrete deliverables, advancing President Trump and Secretary Rubio's commitment to a results-oriented Quad.

India was originally slated to host the Quad summit last year, but bilateral ties were strained following Trump's claims of mediation between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor and Washington's imposition of heavy tariffs on New Delhi. The two countries are currently negotiating a bilateral trade deal.

Rubio visited India in May for the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and his upcoming visit is seen as an effort to finalize arrangements for a Quad summit in the US, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend the G20 summit.