- Saturday, May 18, 2024
He said both the Democrats and Republicans over the last three decades have recognised the importance of the synergy with India, now more than ever.
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE year 2023 marked a key milestone in India’s ties with the US despite the controversy over the foiled assassination attempt of a Sikh separatist leader, an American citizen. The two nations deepened their strategic ties and engaged in expanding cooperation in various sectors.
As the world enters 2024, both India and the US look forward to the momentum continuing further, particularly with both set to go to national elections months apart.
One of the key areas of focus for both New Delhi and Washington in 2024 will be bettering their defence ties more. They already have a robust defence partnership in place. They conduct regular joint exercises and technology transfers. Last year, India and the US launched key initiatives to improve their defence cooperation, including the iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies) and INDUS-X (India-US Defense Technology and Trade Initiative).
Read: Modi’s state visit to US sends a key message about two largest democracies, says Aghi
Besides defence, the two countries will continue to focus on their expanding trade and economic ties. Their bilateral trade figures have already scaled record heights in recent years and in the new year, they will look to build on the foundation by exploring new avenues, with a focus on infrastructure, healthcare and clean energy.
The two countries also have a common strategic interest in maintaining a free India-Pacific region. With China’s rise and growing clout in the zone, India and the US have actively engaged in promoting regional stability and security. The Quad forum, which also features Australia and Japan besides India and the US, is a move towards this direction.
Read: G20 summit a crowning moment for India; a loss for China: Mukesh Aghi
India and the US have also successfully built new economic corridors. One such initiative is the India-Middle East-Europe corridor, an agreement over which was signed during the G20 summit in New Delhi last September. They will also continue to work on joint projects, including the manufacturing of GE F-414 jet engines in the South Asian nation, deepening their strategic bonding further. Besides trade links, the two nations also concentrate on better digital links and clean energy corridors.
Since both nations go to their respective national polls this year, a lot also depends on the outcomes. In India, prime minister Narendra Modi looks strong to secure his third consecutive mandate. In the US, the election is expected to be more competitive but history of the last few decades shows that policies pursued by Washington vis-a-vis India under either the Democrats or the Republicans have not differed much. Both the incumbent US president Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump, who is running for the White House this year again, have maintained cordial relations with India.
Dr Mukesh Aghi, president and CEO, US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, spoke to India Weekly over the probable impact the outcome of the results of the elections in both countries, particularly the US, saying that the synergy between the two nations is stronger than ever with their trade hitting nearly $200 billion and Washington becoming New Delhi’s biggest trade partner.
“While the world’s oldest and largest democracies go to the polls in 2024, much is made about a possible change of guard in Washington DC. Be that as it may, 2023 evinced that the synergy between Washington and New Delhi is stronger than ever as trade hit near $200 billion, with the US now India’s largest trading partner. New deals have been inked, cementing new ties in critical and emerging technology, new ventures for space collaboration, deeper commitment to clean energy projects, and fructifying the existing bonds in the commercial sphere with additional US investments into India,” he said.
“What is evinced is that the US-India partnership is the most consequential strategic partnership of the 21st century and is truly politically agonistic and bipartisan. Both President Trump and President Biden and their respective Republican and Democrat predecessors of the last three decades have recognised the importance of the synergy with India, now more than ever, as we seek to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Dr Aghi added.
