{"id":86078,"date":"2026-10-01T17:26:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T11:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=86078"},"modified":"2026-10-01T17:27:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T11:57:10","slug":"india-us-relations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/01-10-2026\/india-us-relations","title":{"rendered":"US-India Review Bilateral Ties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/IR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prime Minister Modi and the US President agreed to <strong>maintain close engagement to advance the India-US strategic partnership.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Both leaders held their first phone conversatio<strong>n since the <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/18-09-2026\/us-russia-sanctions-bill\"><strong>US signed the law that has granted powers to impose 100% tariffs <\/strong><\/a>on India, China, and other countries for importing Russian energy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The two leaders <strong>reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation <\/strong>across trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas of mutual interest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Overview of India and US Bilateral Relations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Since India\u2019s independence, ties with the United States have weathered the <strong>Cold War era<\/strong> distrust and <strong>estrangement over India\u2019s nuclear program.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Relations have <strong>warmed in recent years,<\/strong> and cooperation has strengthened across a range of economic and political areas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bilateral Trade:<\/strong> The new goal for bilateral trade, \u201cMission 500\u201d is aiming to more than <strong>double total bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The US was India&#8217;s largest trading partner in <strong>2025-26<\/strong>, with bilateral merchandise trade worth<strong> $132.2 billion<\/strong>, comprising <strong>exports of $86.51 billion and imports of $45.62 billion.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Currently, China is the largest trading partner, followed by the USA.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Defense and Security:<\/strong> At the apex of dialogue mechanisms is the <strong>2+2 Ministerial Dialogue<\/strong> co-chaired by the Minister of External Affairs and Minister of Defence and their US counterparts.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India and the US have signed a troika of \u201cfoundational pacts\u201d for deep military cooperation, beginning with the<strong> Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016<\/strong>, followed by the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement<strong> (COMCASA)<\/strong> after the first 2+2 dialogue in 2018, and then the <strong>Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) <\/strong>in 2020.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In <strong>2016<\/strong>, the United States elevated India to a <strong>major defense partner.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Military Exercises: <\/strong>Yudh Abhyas (Army), Vajra Prahar (Special Forces), Malabar (Navy), Cope India (Air Force), and Tiger Triumph (tri-services).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Red Flag, RIMPAC, CUTLASS Express, Sea Dragon, Milan are some of the Multilateral Exercises in which the two countries participate.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Space: The Artemis Accords <\/strong>signed by India established a common vision for the future of space exploration for the benefit of all humankind.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>NISAR (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) <\/strong>\u2013 the joint microwave imaging satellite by ISRO &amp; NASA was launched in 2025 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ISRO and NASA collaborated for a Strategic framework for cooperation in human spaceflight in 2024.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After the training, ISRO nominated Gaganyaatri Shubhanshu Shukla to take part as a Pilot in the joint <strong>ISRO-NASA mission (Axiom-4) to ISS.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Multilateral Cooperation:<\/strong> India and the United States cooperate closely in multilateral organizations and forums, including the <strong>United Nations, G20,<\/strong>, <strong>International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Together with Australia and Japan, the United States and India convene as the <strong>Quad<\/strong>, a diplomatic network, to promote a<strong> free and open Indo-Pacific.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nuclear Cooperation: Civil Nuclear Deal <\/strong>was signed in <strong>2005<\/strong>, under the agreement, India agreed to separate its civil and military nuclear facilities and place all its civil resources under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In exchange, the United States agrees to work toward full civil nuclear cooperation with India.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New initiatives:<\/strong> Several new initiatives have been announced like <strong>GE-HAL deal<\/strong> to manufacture jet engines in India and the <strong>initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diaspora:<\/strong> About 5.4 million Indian Americans\/Indian origin people reside in the US. Persons of Indian origin constitute the third largest Asian ethnic group in the US.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Areas of Concern<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Trade and Economic Disputes:<\/strong> Differences over tariffs and market access, particularly in agriculture, dairy products, medical devices, and digital services.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The United States has criticised India\u2019s protectionist policies and high import duties on certain products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Strategic Autonomy and Russia Relations: <\/strong>India\u2019s long-standing strategic partnership with Russia remains a major concern for the United States.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s purchase of the S-400 air defence system from Russia created concerns under the US CAATSA (Countering America\u2019s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The US expects stronger alignment against Russia, whereas India maintains a policy of strategic autonomy and multi-alignment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Divergence on Global Geopolitical Issues: <\/strong>India has often adopted a neutral or balanced position on conflicts such as the Russia\u2013Ukraine war.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Differences occasionally arise regarding West Asia policies, Iran sanctions, and energy security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India prioritises strategic autonomy, whereas the US often expects coalition-based alignment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Immigration and Visa Restrictions:<\/strong> Tightening of H-1B visa norms affects Indian IT professionals.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Delays in visa processing impact students, workers, and businesses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uncertainty in US immigration policies creates concerns for the Indian diaspora and technology sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Defence Technology Transfer Limitations: <\/strong>Restrictions on transfer of advanced military technologies. Concerns in India regarding reliability of long-term defence supplies during geopolitical crises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Concerns Regarding Pakistan and Regional Security: <\/strong>Although US\u2013Pakistan ties have weakened compared to the Cold War period, India still remains cautious about US military assistance to Pakistan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unpredictability in US Foreign Policy: <\/strong>Frequent shifts in US foreign policy such as changes in trade policies, withdrawal from international agreements and sanctions-related pressures create uncertainty for India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2013US relations are marked by <strong>both strong convergence and persistent differences.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While the partnership has deepened significantly in <strong>defence, technology, trade, and Indo-Pacific cooperation, <\/strong>challenges remain rooted in differing strategic priorities, economic interests, and geopolitical approaches.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Effective management of these differences through sustained dialogue, institutional cooperation, and mutual respect for strategic concerns will be essential for ensuring long-term stability and growth in bilateral ties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/modi-trump-discuss-bilateral-cooperation-in-trade-defence-energy-critical-technologies\/article71529219.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Prime Minister Modi and the US President agreed to maintain close engagement to advance the India-US strategic partnership. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Both leaders held their first phone conversation since the US signed the law that has granted powers to impose 100% tariffs on India, China, and other countries for importing Russian energy.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation across trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas of mutual interest. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/uncategorized\/01-10-2026\/india-us-relations\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86078"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86080,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86078\/revisions\/86080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}