U.S.-India energy diplomacy underwritten by fossil fuel expansion: How geopolitical alliances reshape global refining infrastructure and climate commitments
Original framing: “Marco Rubio arrives in Jamnagar to visit Reliance refinery” — The Hindu
This visit echoes the 1970s oil shocks and the subsequent U.S.-India strategic partnership, where energy security became a cornerstone of bilateral relations. The 2005 U.S.-India Nuclear Deal similarly prioritized energy cooperation over climate action, setting a precedent for fossil fuel alliances. India’s refining capacity has grown exponentially since the 2000s, with Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery becoming the world’s largest, yet this expansion mirrors the 19th-century colonial model of resource extraction for global markets. The historical pattern shows how energy diplomacy often serves corporate and geopolitical interests over environmental or social equity.
This headline obscures a systemic alliance between U.S. geopolitical interests, Indian corporate power, and fossil fuel expansion that locks both nations into a climate-unfriendly trajectory.
The framing of Rubio’s visit as mere ‘diplomacy’ ignores how it replicates the 20th-century model of energy colonialism, where Global South nations become processing hubs for sanctioned crude while their own renewable potential is sidelined. Reliance’s refinery capacity growth, backed by U.S. politicians, mirrors the historical pattern of corporate-state alliances prioritizing short-term economic gains over long-term climate stability, as seen in the 2005 nuclear deal. The absence of Indigenous voices—such as those resisting refinery pollution in Gujarat—highlights how marginalised communities are excluded from energy policy decisions, while scientific evidence on the climate impacts of Venezuelan crude processing is ignored. Future modelling shows that without structural changes, India risks becoming a stranded asset in a post-fossil fuel world, yet the narrative frames this as inevitable progress. The trickster reading reveals the absurdity of calling this a ‘visit’ while the planet faces existential climate risks, underscoring the need for systemic solutions like circular economy models, renewable energy investments, and Indigenous-led environmental governance to break this cycle.