Indo-US Relations: Steering through the changing world order

Title: Indo-US Relations: Steering through the changing world order
Edited by: Shveta Dhaliwal
Published by: Routledge India
First published: 2022
Length: 150 pages
Genre: Politics, diplomacy, international relations.
The bilateral relationsbetween the two countries, the United States of America and India, is something which the whole world observes with much interest. Two of the greatest democracies in the world, each of them consists of their own set of cultures, traditions, beliefs and history of colonization with great stories of freedom movement.
The book is divided into 8 different sections which focus on the various affairs surrounding the two nations of India and the USA. It focuses on a variety of issues pertaining to the Indo-US relations and the challenges faced by them through the various traditional foreign policies concerns as well as the newly emerging concerns. The Indian diaspora plays a major role in contributing towards the healthy relationship between India and the US. The presence of the Indian diaspora has increased sincethe 1970’s. Indian immigration to the US has been majorly in the professional category, including executives, administrators and managerial staff.
The Indo-US relationship has evolved tremendously since the cold war. Though at times, we have also seen how the ties between the nations were strained due to different factors.
The global importance of both countries holds immense significance and is mutually beneficial for a wide range of bilateral relationships.
The book is divided into several short essays which give us an idea of different issues and matters which involve India and the US and also how it impacts other countries through its policies. Scholars have contributed in this book with issues like the geopolitical implications in the South Asian region, the change in the maritime partnership between the US and India under the Obama and Trump administrations, patterns of US and Indian responses to military humanitarian interventions (MHI) in the post-Cold War era, how the geographical proximity of India with China has made it one of the most important characteristics of the US Asia-Pacific policy or the Indo-Pacific, issues relating to the climate changes and their solutions, etc.
The book puts forward the new and emerging issues these two nations face in the twenty-first century. With the rising materialistic capabilities of India, the US had tried to accommodate India’s concerns by modernising its foreign policy.
Currently, it can be clearly pictured that India and the United States hold an important place in each other’s grand strategies and that current geopolitics favours India-US strategic congruence.
The issues related to climate change have been characterized by fierce and conflicting positions between developed and developing countries. Both nations have been active participants in solving these issues and finding solutions through diplomatic means.
The U.S-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership was announced by US President Biden and Indian PM Modi in April 2021. This partnership aimed at Indo-US collaboration on joint progress towards climate action. This will also give an economic boost and would be beneficial for the environment. Well, during the Trump administration, India had a lot of pressure to modify its economic policies in such a way which would advantage American companies. The two initiatives like the “Make in India” and the “America First” of Narendra Modi and Donald Trump respectively represent consistent yet incompatible viewpoints towards trade. Many criticised Trump’s “America First” as “America Alone”.
With America having an image of global influencer, this has allowed leveraging the economic dependency of the weaker countries and use it as a tool by coercion against them. The former President Trump was very vocal about the efficacy of sanctions as a part of his foreign policy. Recently, for the fourth time, the U.S.Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) designated India as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ on the status of religious freedom along with several other nations in its 2023 report. A federal US Commission had urged the Biden administration to impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom in the country by freezing their assets.
India’s attention to China became a deciding factor in the US-Indo bilateral relations during the Cold War period. China, being a neighbour to India, sees strong decision-making power in Indian leadership as a direct threat. Hence, India faces a challenge in dealing with the US-China-India triangular relationship. The growth of China and its geopolitical implications sometimes poses a grave concern to both the US and India. The COVID-19 pandemic had already brought humiliation to China,being heavily criticised for the same. The pandemic had made the xenophobia and bigotry worse towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islander communities.
India in recent times has been maintaining full diplomatic relations with Israel without affecting the partnership with Palestine. As before, India wasn’t inclined towards Israel but Palestine, the recent developments and relations between India and Israel have improved Indo-US relations too. India needed the support of the US with the economic liberalisation policy and thus, by normalizing the ties with Israel, it succeeded in it. Prime Minister Modi coined the term, “I4I”, standing for “India for Israel and Israel for India”, yet while India condemns the One Road One Belt initiative of China, but Israel supports the same.
As far as the Indo-US defence partnership, is concerned, the US has some of the most sophisticated armaments. With many ups and downs in the US-India dosti, it went for the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in August, 2016. This allowed the militaries of both the nations to provide from each other’s bases. Donald Trump further materialized the relationship by granting License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) status to India, a recognition granted mostly to its NATO allies for defence efficiency. In December 2018, the Indian Air Force had conducted a joint military exercise with the US Air Force under the Ex-Cope India 2018.
The cooperation in the maritime sphere between India and the US was less complicated. This was because the Trump administration remained preoccupied with China on a bilateral basis. During the Obama’s administration, emphasis on broadening its bilateral defence relations in the Indo-Pacific was made. The Chinese domination in the Asia-Pacific stands out as a major reason why the US decided to move west to strengthen its Indo-Pacific strategy.
Parties of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) passed the Paris Agreement in its COP21 in December, 2015. The global cooperation on the issue of climate change thus entered a new era. However, the decision of the US to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement threatened the stability of evolving bilateral energy cooperation.
The various chapters in the book give us a clear image of the different issues which have emerged in the bilateral relations between India and the United States of America. They include the dynamics of the administration during Obama and Trump’s presidency and how they affected Indian diplomacy with the US and also with different countries, be it the neighboring countries or the allies.
The strategy of maintaining a balanced relationship is seen as the foremost diplomatic approach by most countries, including India and the US. The India-US synergy in the Asian balance of power has striven for a leading strategic partnership.
Moving towards the recent developments in Indo-US relations, the latest visit of PM Narendra Modi to the US has resulted in some notable results. . He addressed the Indian diaspora by stating how crucial their role is in determining the bilateral partnership. The White House announced the collaboration of ISRO and NASA on a joint mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024. The strategic defence and semiconductor production deals signed between the two countries will increase India’s capabilities in the defence sector. It will uplift India’s security infrastructure. This will also help tobuild stronger military ties with the US and combat common challenges in the security arena.
This trip demonstrated India’s cultural assets and its growing impact on global arena through various diplomatic agendas. Regular exchange of political visits by the heads of states has given rise to the ever-expanding India-US engagement.
The 19th century British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston, in a speech to the House of Commons,is said to have remarked, “Nations neither have permanent allies nor permanent adversaries but, permanent interests.” So, with similar objectives and also similar challenges which the Indo-US face internationally, they both also have an opportunity to improve the bilateral relations between them.
The book provides a wide range of information ranging from the cold war period to the new advancements taking place in the US-India diplomatic ties. The editor gives an insight into the close connection between these two countries. As the book is divided into several short chapters, it is easier to comprehend and provides the readers with adequate knowledge about the theme/s. It aims to examine a series of different aspects in the two countries’ relations and how, no matter whether the world order changes, these two mature democracies will always find a way to remain allies. It can be considered as a handbook for diplomats and foreign policy makers. The editor of this book has done a commendable job in bringing together the core concerns between the two nations and also highlighting the impact and influence it has on the other nations.
Ritika Ratha.
Intern, Asia in Global Affairs

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