New Delhi, India — United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in India for a two-day visit, during which he is set to tour the Jamnagar refinery complex in Gujarat, owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, a major player in global oil markets.
Reliance’s crude refinery in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state is the world’s largest single-site refinery. In many ways, Reliance Industries’ businesses sit at the crossroads of the ongoing global energy crisis.
The conglomerate is central to Washington’s efforts to punish Russian energy buyers, while also trying to contain oil prices amid the war on Iran, on top of rising diesel costs in the US, where a crucial midterm election looms. Reliance has also only recently committed to a major investment in the US, which President Donald Trump’s administration has cited as an example of its successes in luring global capital.
Rubio is skipping the capital, New Delhi, at a time when the US-India bilateral relationship has been rocky, strained by a string of friction points — and an elusive trade deal.
So why is the top US diplomat visiting the world’s largest single-site oil refinery?
After meetings in Mumbai, India’s financial hub in the western state of Maharashtra, Rubio will fly to Jamnagar in neighbouring Gujarat, near the Gulf of Kutch. Jamnagar opens into the Arabian Sea and is home to Reliance Industries’ refining complex, a major hub for crude processing and fuel exports, which processes 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd).
Rubio had visited India earlier this year too, but this trip “is a little more business-focused”, the US ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, told reporters last week. A readout from Rubio’s office noted that he would “meet with business leaders to promote opportunities for commercial investment and economic cooperation”.
“[At Jamnagar] he will meet some of the folks at Reliance,” Gor said.
The world’s largest single-site oil-refining complex has a combined crude-processing capacity of 1.4 million bpd. That is nearly 1.5 percent of global refining capacity, according to the company.
The complex comprises two refineries: the original facility, commissioned in 1999 with a capacity of 660,000bpd, and a second, export-oriented refinery commissioned in 2008, adding 580,000bpd, which operates in a special economic zone.
Jamnagar imports crude from international suppliers and exports refined products to global markets. The refinery can process heavy, sulphur-rich crude that many facilities cannot handle efficiently, converting oil into higher-value products.
Reliance said last month that the complex has processed more than 216 crude grades, claiming to be “perhaps the only refinery to achieve this feat”.
The Jamnagar refinery’s capacity is also driving a sharp revival in imports of Venezuelan crude — taken over by the US earlier this year after abducting then-President Nicolas Maduro — as Washington seeks to reshape global oil trade.
Reliance is expected to account for roughly 350,000bpd to 370,000bpd of the October intake, according to estimates from analytics firm Kpler. “We will talk with Reliance about refining more Venezuelan crude,” Rubio told reporters in brief remarks on Tuesday.
Reliance is a central player in keeping global oil markets stable, as one of the world’s biggest suppliers of refined petroleum products. In September, for instance, six of the seven large cargo ships that docked at European Union ports carrying oil products were bearing Reliance goods.
Reliance’s biggest export is diesel, which Trump has been particularly worried about, with prices reaching historic highs in the US ahead of midterm elections early next month.
Though the data on exports by category is not public, an analysis by the Reuters news agency from trade sources noted that Reliance Industries exported 21.66 million tonnes of refined petroleum products in the first half of 2025 from Jamnagar. Diesel accounted for the largest share at 9.81 million tonnes, followed by petrol at 6.14 million tonnes and jet fuel at 2.06 million tonnes.
Europe accounted for the biggest share of the company’s exports, making up 28 percent of Reliance’s refined products during the period. Buyers include BP, ExxonMobil, Glencore, Vitol and Trafigura.
The Jamnagar refinery also shipped about $143m worth of oil products to the US last month, according to data cited by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a think tank in Finland.
CREA noted in its report that the EU’s ban on importing petroleum products made from Russian crude from January 2026 does not adequately prevent products from refineries in third countries from entering Europe when those refineries also process Russian crude. The Jamnagar refinery is a prime example of that loophole.
Rubio’s visit to the refinery also comes as Trump faces his worst approval ratings amid inflation and rising fuel prices ahead of the midterm election in November. Just about 31 percent of Americans are happy with Trump’s performance – the lowest-ever number in his two terms, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey.
The Trump administration has also reportedly been pushing Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop strikes on Russian energy facilities, which have rattled the global fuel markets.
Reliance is also a critical actor in US efforts to influence how much oil Russia sells.
Since the start of Russia’s full-fledged war on Ukraine in February 2022, India has emerged as the second-largest buyer of Russian oil after China. And Reliance is driving that surge in imports. While only 3 percent of its oil was sourced from Russia before 2022, that share rose to 50 percent by 2025.
So when Trump imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods in August 2025 to punish New Delhi for the purchase of Russian oil, Reliance was directly affected. It cut back on Russian crude imports significantly in subsequent months, but it still made up a third of the oil processed by Jamnagar’s refinery during the July-September 2026 quarter.
That was under threat when the Trump administration appeared poised to impose a 100 percent tariff on Indian goods because of continued Russian oil imports, under a new law passed last month.
But Trump has since suspended those proposed tariffs, easing concerns for India and Reliance.
Rubio has said India has been diversifying its import mix away from Russian crude, even as it still buys millions of barrels of Russian oil every day. “You’ve got countries like India, for example, that have voluntarily diversified their energy portfolio, but are still getting a substantial amount of energy from Russia because it’s hard to pivot from one day to the next,” Rubio said on Sunday.
“But they’re also an important ally and partner of the United States.”
Yes, India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, is investing in the US, primarily through energy-related projects.
It is backing America First Refining’s planned oil refinery at the Port of Brownsville in Texas, also the first major US refinery in about 50 years, announced by Trump in March.
The refinery is expected to cost $3bn to $4bn and process about 60 million barrels of US crude annually. Reliance has signed a 20-year agreement to buy a large share of the facility’s output, with operations expected to start around 2029.
In November 2024, Reliance’s US subsidiary also acquired a 21 percent stake in helium explorer Wavetech Helium for $12m as part of its low-carbon energy strategy.
Last month, Trump announced that India’s Essar Group — an oil major with knee-deep ties to Russia — is planning an $18bn integrated steel investment in the US through its subsidiary, Mesabi Metallics.
Despite Reliance’s investments in the US and Rubio’s upcoming visit to the Jamnagar facility, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man who is also a key Trump ally, recently hit out at Ambani.
His Starlink space telecommunications firm has struggled for years to secure a licence to operate in India.
In a series of X posts recently, Musk accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of stalling Starlink’s entry to favour market leader Ambani’s telecom firm, Jio. Musk taunted Ambani directly, addressing him as “Prime Minister Ambani” and asking whether he would “consider allowing Starlink to compete”. Starlink, Musk wrote, was being blocked by “oligarchs” protecting their “monopolistic chokehold” on Indians.
In a statement issued on X, Reliance said it has “never feared competition” and has “grown in an India that welcomes investment and innovation, homegrown or international”.
NEXT MONTH the capital is set to get a HUGE new multi-million attraction with never- seen-before areas.
Opening on November 28, the £427million London Museum will be in Smithfield in the General Market.
And the best thing about the new attraction is that it will be completely free to visit.
It will be the world’s largest city museum with three different spaces documenting the past 10,000 years of the capital with over seven million objects on display.
One area will be called ‘Real Time’ and feature a covered street where visitors can explore real time data about different parts of London.
In the second space, ‘Our Time’, will be the centre of the museum with events and activities including immersive theatre.
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Around ‘Our Time’ there will also be 13 installations about London, a restaurant and a bookshop, with festivals and markets planned for the future too.
For extra fun, after-hours DJ sessions are also planned for Fridays and Saturdays.
The main gallery will then be known as ‘Past Time’ and can be found underground.
The gallery will take visitors through London’s history with exhibits including the recent ‘Piranhas’ artwork by Banksy as well as older pieces such as Charles I’s execution vest.
Notable other objects that will be on show at the museum will include the swimming trunks worn by Tom Daley for the 2012 London Olympics and Paul Simon from The Clash’s bass guitar, which he smashed on stage.
On the lower level of the museum there will also be a giant six-metre tall window that will let visitors look through to a tunnel where the Thameslink trains pass.
In 2028, the museum will open even more areas inside the Poultry Market building with galleries including ‘Temporary Time’, ‘Imagined Time’ and ‘Deep Time’.
This building will house the museum’s temporary exhibitions, collection stores and learning centre.
In ‘Imagined Time’, there will be a platform hanging beneath the ceiling with different installations reflecting London’s past, present and imagined future.
The General Market first opened in 1883 as a meat market but has remained abandoned for the past 30 years.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, previously said: “The opening of the new London Museum will be a hugely significant moment both for London and internationally.
“Backed by one of the largest ever cultural investments in our capital, London Museum will attract millions of visitors and Londoners and reinforce our status as the cultural capital of the world.
“London Museum celebrates the past, creates opportunities in the present and will inspire future generations, as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”
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The S&P 500 (SP500) recorded its largest-ever single-day put options trading volume by dollar notional value last Friday.
The index reached an estimated $3.3T-$3.4T, according to market data.
The surge represented roughly a 330% increase above the 2024 average, with approximately 4.1M
BONFIRE Night is on the horizon, and the biggest celebration in the WORLD is right here in the UK.
Lewes will hold its annual event in a matter of weeks and not only is it free to visit but it will be busier than ever.
Thousands of Brits descend on the town in East Sussex which has been holding bonfire events since 1795.
However, it isn’t the usual firework display followed by hot chocolates – this one is the world’s biggest with torchlit processions and giant effigies.
The event marks both Guy Fawkes Night and the memory of 17 martyrs from the town who were burnt at the stake.
Every year, six different bonfire societies each hold their own procession and firework displays.
In 2024, it was recorded that 40,000 people were in attendance.
The event is predicted to be even busier this year because it falls nearer the weekend on Thursday, November 5.
The majority of the event is completely free, like the bonfire at Commercial Square – but visitors will need to pay to watch at others.
This year, the processions start at around 5pm and will arrive at the individual bonfire at around 9.45pm with fireworks displays finishing around 11pm.
Travel Writer, Hope Brotherton, who has previously attended told visitors to “be prepared”.
She said: “In the last few years, I’ve been lucky enough to attend Lewes Bonfire because a handful of my friends are from the Sussex town.”
“Because the town’s streets and alleyways are rather narrow, the High Street in Lewes is one of the best, and safest, places to watch the torch-lit procession.
“The processions can often be very loud because of the drums that accompany each of the societies. But the noise is all part of the electric atmosphere, as are the effigies.
“If you do want a drink in a pub, be sure to head there in the early afternoon. Several of the bonfire societies base themselves in local pubs too, which means they can be busier than usual.”
On the day of the event there will be limited rail services – trains will not stop at Lewes from 5pm until the start of the service the next day.
There will also be road closures around and in the town due to the procession and predicted number of attendees.
It’s so popular that those wanting to visit are encouraged to book hotels a year in advance.
On Booking.com there’s a one-night stay available from November 5-6, 2027 from £75 per night (for two people).
Unlike many other firework and bonfire events around the UK, the one in Lewes is not suitable for children or young families as officials warn it can be ‘overwhelming’.
Despite this, lots of visitors often rave about the event calling it an “amazing experience”.
One wrote on Tripadvisor: “The energy is superb, the friendliness of everyone involved, and a feeling of excitement throughout makes this such a memorable night out.
“Everyone should come to Lewes on November 5th at least once, you will never find a night like this anywhere else in the world.”
A HISTORIC town will host a festive wonderland with real reindeers for just one day.
The UK’s largest single-day Christmas market is returning with more than 120 stalls this December.
The Beverley Festival of Christmas will return on Sunday, December 13, bringing thousands of visitors to the East Yorkshire town for one of the country’s biggest festive events.
Shoppers will be able to browse more than 120 stalls selling everything from handmade gifts and Christmas decorations to jewellery, homeware and locally produced food.
The market will spread across Beverley’s historic Saturday Market, Wednesday Market and North Bar, with independent traders offering plenty of inspiration for anyone still searching for Christmas presents.
The day will kick off with a spectacular parade at 10am, setting off from Wednesday Market and travelling along Toll Gavel towards Saturday Market.
Santa Claus will lead the procession alongside his reindeer, with live music, comedy acts, Steampunks, majorettes and Bernese mountain dogs also expected to take part.
After the parade, Father Christmas and his reindeer will remain in Saturday Market until mid-afternoon, giving families the chance to see them up close and take photographs.
Visitors can also expect traditional Victorian fairground rides, face painting, birds of prey displays and ice sculptures throughout the day.
Brass bands, carol singers and dancers will provide a festive soundtrack as shoppers explore the town centre.
The festival will be running from 10am until 4pm and the entry is free.
The event was first established in 1995 by local shop owner John Bird, who brought Beverley’s traders together to create a special day of Christmas shopping.
It has since grown into one of East Yorkshire’s best-known festive traditions, with 2026 marking its 30th year.
AS someone with a fear of heights, dangling by a thin rope from a cable several hundred metres above a deep mountain valley is not on my bucket list.
But here I am, suspended 2,000ft up with nothing between me and the valley below (a situation that could soon change as I feel the pastries I had for breakfast make their way back up).
I have reluctantly agreed to take part in the so-called Aerolive experience, which is essentially a gondola without walls.
“Aerolive invites you to slow down, take a deep breath and appreciate the sheer scale and beauty of the mountains,” teases the bumpf.
Heavenly stuff, but no one has told my pulse, which is going like the clappers as I gingerly step nearer the edge.
I watch in awe as my fellow daredevils lean out into the abyss and decide on a half in/half out strategy, which would typically be described as “chicken”.
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Because yes, Aerolive is exhilarating and yes, the view is magical but my God it is also bloody terrifying.
This mountain masochism is the latest thing to do in La Plagne — a French ski resort which has spent millions installing the superfast gondola from which I now teeter, to whisk visitors up to the top of its 3,080m-high Roche De Mio mountain.
Of course, you don’t have to — literally — put your life on the line to get up here. Normal, sealed cabins are available.
And while Roche De Mio is most definitely the highest, it is just one of numerous peaks in this vast Alpine resort, with its 77 lifts, 143 pistes and 225km of skiing.
That nearly doubles when you add the runs and lifts in neighbouring resort Les Arcs, which offer a combined 425km of pistes — the third largest ski area in the world.
You could spend a week here and not cover half the terrain, even if you bomb down a few slopes after hours on a sledge, which local ski firm Oxygene offers for around 40 euros.
I gave their so-called Superluge Derby a go and wow, it’s probably the fastest — and most out of control — you can go on these mountains.
Helpfully La Plagne is HIGH, with 70 per cent of runs above the treeline between 2,000m and 3,000m, which is perfect for a late break (I went in late March and conditions were ideal).
From the top of the highest runs, the views across the bowls are spectacular and there are plenty of big, wide runs.
And when your legs get tired, you are spoilt for choice for places to stop, from cosy chalet-style joints serving all the Savoie usuals — such as tartiflette and fondue — to more modest snack bars pumping out croque monsieurs.
So you don’t blow a hundred euros every lunchtime, I’d suggest nipping over to Plagne Bellecote, where cheaper snack bars abound but the view is still cracking.
If you do fancy spending a few bob and you can’t visit the mountains without a blast of electronic dance music, there is a Folie Douce-style bar on the way down to Plagne Village called La Bergerie.
It’s a straight rip-off of the Val d’Isere original Folie Douce and features DJs, half-naked dancers and, of course, some dude on a saxophone.
Getting a big round in here is only for the brave, though. I bought three pints and am still paying off the credit card bill.
But it’s a good laugh for a quick stop and hey, you’re on holiday.
I stayed just down the hill from Bellcote in a Ski Beat chalet in one of La Plagne’s smaller satellite villages, Plagne 1800.
It’s a charming little place with a few bars and restaurants but most importantly, it’s about a five minute totter from the lifts.
This is my second year on a Ski Beat package and again the service was first class and the food top quality.
While Plagne 1800 is a sleepy hamlet, there is enough to keep you entertained if you’re not quite ready to turn in at 9pm.
I spent a few nights in the rowdy La Mine Bar, themed on a “traditional English pub” and it has made a pretty good fist of it.
You can watch Premier League matches here and neck a few proper pints but, with its wooden beams and Gore-Tex-clad clientele, you still feel like you’re in the Alps.
Musical acts take to the stage most nights and, depending on how smashed you are when you ask them, they’ll play requests.
The only, er, downside is you have to walk back up the hill when you’ve reached capacity.
Where’s that windowless lift when you need it, eh?
GETTING/STAYING THERE: A week in a slopeside chalet in La Plagne costs from £731pp including flights from Gatwick or Manchester, transfers and a chalet host to cook breakfast, afternoon tea, and three-course evening meals with wine.
See skibeat.co.uk or call 01273 855100.
OUT & ABOUT: A La Plagne Lift Local Pass costs from £220 for six days. A Paradiski Unlimited Area Pass costs from £244 for six days. For details, see en.la-plagne.com.
