The Road Ahead

In over seven decades of its independent history, India’s relationship with the United States has always been complicated. The Cold War dynamics and India’s nuclear ambitions had dictated the individual leanings of both nations before the turn of the new millennium. But since President Clinton’s visit to India in 2000, economics has become the defining feature of the relationship. India’s economic rise post-liberalisation and its unique position to counter-balance China’s dominance in Asia placed it in a favourable light. Though the India – US relation strengthened under President Obama, it entered a new era under President Donald Trump. President Trump’s two-day visit to India has been largely seen as a public diplomacy response to the "Howdy, Modi!" extravaganza in Houston last year, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Trump addressed an audience of 50,000 Indians living in the US and designed to boost his chances of returning to office in the 2020 US general election.

President Donald Trump began his maiden trip to India on 24 th February 2020, becoming the 7th American President to visit the country. It was a two days official trip (24th to 25th Feb) along with his wife, first lady Melania Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump along with his son in law. He was scheduled to visit three cities in India: the national capital Delhi, Agra and Ahmedabad. Trump along with his family received a warm welcome in Motera stadium in Gujarat where he addressed an audience of more than 100000 people in an event named “Namaste Trump”. He also made a visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. The visits were not just about theatrics and atmospherics. They are also about change in America’s approach to India.

In the run up to the visit R. Verma, Vice Chairman of the Asia Group and a former US Envoy to India , said that this visit had the potential to open a new era in India-US bilateral ties. Verma argued, “Only six sitting US Presidents have visited India since India’s independence in 1947, President Trump’s visit is important, timely and has the chance to open a new period in bilateral ties. The visits of the last three US Presidents have celebrated issues of security and economic potential, but this one had the potential of also focussing on deeply shared values like democracy.” Similarly, a former top American diplomat noted that it is important for the leaders of the two countries to embrace and reaffirm common values of commitment to democracy, human rights, diversity and rule of law.

“I am going to India, next week and we are talking trade“, Trump said at a ‘Keep America Great’ rally in Colorado. However, disagreements over the price of apples, walnuts, and medical devices; the US's demands for greater access to India’s dairy, poultry and e-commerce market; and ongoing discussions over lowering Indian tariffs on American-made Harley Davidson motorcycles, remained unresolved. After a day of pomp and grandeur an agreement on Sikorsky helicopters was announced along with cooperation in fighting radical Islamist terrorism and deepening energy ties. In recent years defence and military sales relations between the two countries have been expanding currently reaching nearly $20 billion.

Trump summed up his trip as “unforgettable, extraordinary and productive, America loves India, America respects India and America will always be faithful and loyal friends to Indian people“. Prime Minister Modi for his part called the US-India relation as the “most important partnership of 21 st century”. While the absence of inking the trade deal was noted by many, writing on what President Trump’s visit actually achieved Rohan Venkataramakrishnan argued “From one angle, the willingness of the two leaders to carry out a visit like this despite the lack of movement on trade is a positive thing: It suggests that the US-India relationship is deep enough that it not depend on a trade breakthrough, allowing the two governments to continue forging a strategic partnership even if the two economies do not integrate further…” Also the fact that President Trump was the first American President to have visited India without visiting Pakistan, was marked as an important diplomatic symbolism. Missing from the visit was any reference to political developments marking an increasingly transactional phase in the relationship.

Sarnali Bhattacharjee

Intern, AGA