ALMOST the entire Ambani family led by billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani welcomed the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Jamnagar on Wednesday, as he began a tour of the world’s largest single-site refinery. Rubio arrived in Jamnagar a day after calling India a crude-refining “superpower” and urging more processing of Venezuelan crude there. The day also included a visit to Reliance’s Vantara animal-rescue centre and giga factories being developed by the conglomerate. The visit puts a private industrial empire at the centre of US-India energy diplomacy, analysts said. Officials have described the Ambani-hosted programme as a “private visit”. It comes as US diesel prices surge ahead of the mid-term elections. Rubio was welcomed by Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Ltd, his wife Nita and children Isha and Anant, people familar with the visit said.

 

Reliance is already a key player in Washington’s oil diplomacy. It is the biggest buyer of Venezuelan crude after the US itself, at a time when Washington is urging India to buy more, the people said. Reliance’s proposed Texas refinery adds a reciprocal dimension to its energy ties with the US. Rubio meets Adani, Tata chiefs: US Secretary os State Marco Rubio met Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran in Mumbai on Wednesday morning before heading to Jamnagar in Gujarat to visit Reliance Industries’ giant oil-refining complex, the world’s largest single-site refinery, along with Vantara and giga factories being developed by the conglomerate. Rubio, who arrived on Tuesday afternoon, first met Adani, followed by a meeting with Chandrasekaran.