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America first, India later? The illusion of Indo–US strategic partnership

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  
India’s relationship with the United States has often been portrayed as a rising strategic partnership built on mutual respect, democratic values, and shared interests. Yet, a closer look at the historical and contemporary trajectory of this relationship reveals an uneasy alliance, shaped more by American strategic and economic calculations than any enduring commitment to India's development or sovereignty.
The recent imposition of 25% tariffs on Indian exports by the Trump administration is not an aberration—it fits into a long history of U.S. policies that have sought to pressure India into compliance with Washington's geopolitical objectives. With China resisting American economic coercion, India is increasingly being targeted through trade measures, diplomatic pressure, and strategic alignments designed to serve U.S. interests in Asia. 
These moves not only challenge India’s economic growth but also undermine its independent foreign policy stance.
Throughout the Cold War and well into the post-liberalisation period, U.S. policy has reflected a desire to shape India’s choices, particularly in regional security and economic governance. From supporting Pakistan as a counterbalance to India, to technological and trade sanctions in the 1970s and 1980s, successive American administrations have made it clear that India’s value lies primarily in its utility to broader American objectives—be it countering Soviet influence during the Cold War or containing China today.
Even landmark initiatives like the U.S.–India Civil Nuclear Agreement have been viewed by critics as more beneficial to American industry than to India’s clean energy ambitions. The strategic dialogues and defense partnerships that followed—while significant on paper—have not erased the trust deficit that shadows this bilateral relationship. The emergence of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) is another case where India is expected to play a role in advancing a U.S.-led Indo-Pacific strategy, raising concerns about being cast as a junior partner in an unfolding geopolitical contest.
While presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden took a relatively collaborative approach toward India, structural imbalances remained. India’s ties with Russia, its approach to multilateralism, and its domestic policy autonomy have frequently clashed with U.S. expectations. Trump’s "America First" doctrine only made these contradictions more apparent.
Moreover, bipartisan support for India in Washington is often overstated. It is driven less by a genuine commitment to India’s rise than by economic imperatives and strategic calculations aimed at maintaining U.S. hegemony in Asia. In that context, the U.S. has shown willingness to work with authoritarian regimes when convenient and has often destabilized democratic governments across Latin America, Africa, and Asia to serve corporate and strategic interests.
The current Indian leadership, particularly under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has leaned into this relationship, with visible enthusiasm for ties with the U.S. and its allies. Modi’s open endorsement of Donald Trump during the “Howdy Modi” event in 2019 is emblematic of this alignment. However, such gestures risk compromising India’s long-standing tradition of non-alignment and its credibility as a sovereign actor on the global stage.
Critics argue that this eagerness stems from the ideological overlap between U.S. corporate-driven foreign policy and the nationalist, pro-business agenda of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. But as the global order shifts and American influence continues to face pushback, India must reassess the costs and benefits of its strategic alignments.
India’s future as a sovereign, pluralist, and self-reliant nation depends on its ability to maintain an independent foreign policy, resist external pressures, and engage in international solidarity—especially with nations across the Global South. The current moment demands a revival of India’s foundational anti-imperialist and non-aligned spirit to navigate an increasingly multipolar world.
A genuine strategic partnership must be built on equality, mutual benefit, and respect for sovereignty. Unless that foundation is established, the India–U.S. relationship may continue to be characterized less by shared values and more by uneasy compromises.

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