Yes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. The same is true about close and mutually beneficial relationships. It took quarter of a century for the US Presidents and Indian Prime Ministers belonging to different political parties “overcome hesitation of history” to forge, nurture and strengthen a relationship which is anchored by a broader strategic vision for Asia and the world and which also addresses and seeks convergences on bilateral, political, economic, defence and Security issues and explores understanding, cooperation and partnership on global commons.
President Bill Clinton who imposed the most stringent sanctions on India after she carried out nuclear tests in May 1998 became the first US President to visit India in 21 years in March 2000 and laid with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee the institutional structure for the two democracies to rediscover each other and build multidimensional relationship which was in later years described by more than one American leader as the “most defining relationships of the21st century.”
President George W. Bush did a lot of heavy lifting in the US Congress and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, leading a delicate coalition government, staked his political prestige to see the Civil Nuclear Agreement happen in 2005; this made an exception for India which hadn’t signed the NPT and ended her nuclear apartheid.
President Barack Obama, who became the first US President to visit India twice during his Presidency and was the first and the only US President to be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day parade on January 26, 2015 announced his historic strategic vision for the Asia-Pacific which envisioned a significant role for India.
The first term of President Donald J Trump is remembered for warm handshake and hugs, Howdy Modi (2019, Houston) and Namaste Trump (2020, Ahmedabad) and visuals of warmth and bonhomie between the two leaders though the trade balance was still in India’s favour. DJT is also credited to have revived Quad (2017) and raised the meetings to foreign ministers’ level (2019) primarily to counter China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Joe Biden, far different a personality from Trump, expanded and deepened relations with India. Though India hadn’t condemned the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Biden let the Delhi Declaration of the leaders emerge at the G-20 Summit in September 2023 by consensus by instructing his negotiators not raise the divisive Ukraine issue.
A cursory look at the relations where they stood in early 2000 and where they stood by December 2024, whether we consider the figures of trade and investment and technological collaboration or cooperation in the field of defence, security including cyber security, intelligence sharing, antiterrorism endeavours or purchases of gas, oil and other energy sources, India-US relations have witnessed exponential growth; they are transformed beyond recognition. Frequent meetings of top leaders bilaterally or at numerous international summits and exchange of visits by senior cabinet ministers and ongoing discussions of India-US Business Council and CEOs Forum made observers believe that relations have never been better; there was visible bipartisan consensus in the two countries in favour of warm relations unaffected by the change of guard in Washington and New Delhi. Narendra Modi became the first PM of India to have addressed the joint session of the US Congress twice; he is the only Indian PM to have officially interacted with four US Presidents. Evidently, he knows more about dealing with US Presidents than any other leader.
Then why has this multifaceted partnership faced so much of strain and discordant notes since the beginning of the second term of Donald Trump though PM Modi was one of the early visitors of the White House? The total bilateral trade in 2025 stood at US$149.5 billion, with India enjoying a surplus of around US$40 billion. The US now accounts for 13% of India’s defence imports which have crossed US$25 billion since 2008-2025. Imports of oil, gas, coal are valued at US$14 billion in 2024. With long inventories of Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, planned purchases of aircraft by Indian airlines and enhanced purchases of oil and gas, the target of US$500 billion for purchases of American goods in five years is achievable. The signing of India-US COMPACT (Catalysis Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology for 21st century) and admission of India into Pax Silica aimed at securing supply chains of semiconductors, AI and critical minerals suggest promising rise in collaboration on several fronts.
Even in the face of domestic criticism, India’s reaction to the killing of over 73,000 Palestinians by Israel in Gaza and her current invasion of Lebanon has been muted. And she hasn’t condemned Israeli-American attack on Iran nor the killing of their Supreme Leader. She paid the punitive 25% duty on importing Russian oil until it was removed in February 2026 and is now buying Russian oil ostensibly with the US “permission”.
Still the likes of Peter Navarro, Trade Secretary Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Bessent have been using most uncouth and coarse language against India, not worthy of the august positions they hold. And refence to India as “hellhole” crossed all sense of decency and decorum. These loudmouths must be stopped lest they totally derail the achievements of the last 25 years by the leaders of the two countries.
It’s unwise and naïve to look at India-US relationship purely through the prism of tariff and trade. They are also sabotaging the great efforts being made by energetic and most dynamic US ambassador, Sergio Gor, who has been sprinting from one Indian minister to another since his arrival. Close to President Trump as he is, he should suggest a mortarium on the utterances by the loudmouths.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be visiting India soon to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting; this offers an opportunity to have a candid conversation on all aspects of India-US relations and bring them back to an even keel. In his Republic Day message, Rubio said, “From our close cooperation on defence, energy, critical minerals and emerging technologies to our multilayered engagement through Quad, the US-India relationship delivers real results for our two countries and for the Indo-Pacific region”. Wish this message reaches the habitual loudmouths too.
