Jamnagar

Almostthe 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.

No details of the visit were released by either side.

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.

Akash Ambani, Mukesh Ambani's eldest son and managing director of Jio Platforms, was overseeing the opening of the telecom giant's initial public offering (IPO).

Reliance's Jamnagar complex can process 1.4 million barrels of crude a day and is the world's largest and most complex single-site refinery. Its fuel exports make it a hub for global supply.

Rubio told Reliance-owned Network 18 that Washington wants to work more closely with Reliance on refining energy from the Western Hemisphere, calling that helpful to both countries.

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.

US President Donald Trump recently announced that Reliance is partnering to build a new 168,000 barrels-a-day refinery project in Brownsville, Texas.

While Washington is seeking to encourage more processing of Western Hemisphere crude at Jamnagar, the Indian conglomerate is also positioning itself to handle US oil closer to its source.

The plant is designed to process US-produced light shale crude and would be the first major new US refinery in about five decades if completed. Besides the refinery, Rubio also visited Vantara.

Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation-run Vantara is a rescue, rehabilitation and conservation programme spread over 3,000 acres in Jamnagar. It sits within the green belt of the refinery complex and was conceived by Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani.