0
0
~by Shejal Singh Chauhan
India and the United States (the two largest democracies in the world) have been building a relatively underdeveloped, vibrant and multi-dimensional relationship for the last few decades. The historical coldness and uncertainty of the past has fundamentally shifted to a respectable, productive strategic partnership that provides opportunities and promotes interest and excitement up to the highest levels of government into this 21st century. The India-U.S. relationship is a concern and opportunity in the areas of education, business, defence, technology, climate change cooperation, and geopolitical advantage.
- Educational Cooperation: Building people to people ties
Student Exchange and Higher Education
Of the multiple sectors discussed as partners of India-U.S. relations, education is one of the most substantive pillars. The U.S. has emerged as one of the top destinations for Indian students. As of 2024, the U.S. had over 260,000 enrolled Indians.
In recent years, collaborative programs in universities have gone from establishing collaborative research, faculty exchanges and partnership programs with foreign institutions to utilizing multi-national collaborative research frameworks. Collaborative research between US and Indian institutions can also tke place through initiatives like the U.S.-India Higher Education Dialogue which promotes collaboration by advancing innovation and dissemination of knowledge Transfer. In establishing another layer of educational partnerships it is worth noting that American institutions are now entering India either by establishing their own campus, or by partnering with an Indian institution as a consequence of the NEP 2020.
Technology and Research
Both Countries collaborate in fellowships and research opportunities. Co-collaboration is occurring on artificial intelligence, clean energy, health research, and space – in these fields numerous institutions and large American universities have been involved in instrumenting collectively funded research.
- Business and Economic Engagement: An Expanding Economic Partnership
Trade and Investment
The United States is one of India’s biggest trading partners. Bilateral trade reached a high of more than $190 billion in 2023. The main sectors of bilateral trade partnership include information technology, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, defense, and energy. Many large American firms, such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Apple, have invested heavily into India. There are also many Indian companies, like Infosys, Wipro, and Tata companies, that have a large footprint in the United States.
Startups and Innovation
India has a dynamic startup scene that is attracting billions of U.S. venture capital investments. Partnerships like the U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership encourage U.S.-India partnerships for innovation on climate technologies, electrical vehicle, and renewable energy. The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum enable collaboration on high impact technologies.
Immigration and Workforce
Highly qualified Indian workers include significant number of Indian professionals that work in information technology and STEM jobs in the U.S. workforce. H-1B visas are now clear political footballs and the system is discussing ways to change the H-1B visa program and create better access and more mobility of talent.
- Defense and Strategic Relations: Expanding Military Engagement
Defense Mechanisms
Both U.S. and India have established foundation defense mechanisms, including:
- LEMOA : Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement
- COMCASA :Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement
- BECA :Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement
The foundation agreements allow for mutual military interoperability, sharing military intelligence, and military logistics.
Cooperative and Arms Trading
The notion of military cooperation is taking shape also through multinational exercises like Yudh Abhyas, Malabar and Tiger Triumph . As a new partner the U.S. has significantly expanded as a leading defense supplier to India, providing platforms like Apache helicopters, C-130 Hercules’ and drones.
Indo-Pacific and Quad Partnership
Both countries have visions for a free, open and rules based Indo-Pacific. Quad is valuable because the relationship will be key and foundational increasing capability to counter balance China which opposes the Quad relationship and rules based application of the sea. Different area concern is likely being monitored and once monitoring moves to enforcement the engagement and cooperation will be more sustainable.
- Climate, Technology, and Global Issues
These partner countries address a connected set of issues that are very relevant to climate change action and other global issues of note the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership, for example. This bilateral trust is evident in joint work on issues of cyber security, space both countries collaborated on space between NASA and ISRO, a historic occasion, and, in hyper-relevant ways, global health (the post-COVID-19 era is accelerating their collaboration in this area).
- Political and Cultural Connections
Growing political trust can be perceived in high-level visits, and there is a showing of commitment i.e., Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington, DC in 2023; the last visit prior to this was 2016 and less frequent, but ongoing dialogue e.g., the bilateral 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue on a regular basis. Further, Indian Americans are very important in the U.S. and among the more affluent, which creates another cultural-political bridge between these two great partner countries.
Conclusion
India and the United States have come a long way from the distance of very separate democracies, to very close strategic partnership. They have created an close connection across education, business, defense, and democratic and plural cultures. Both will play an important role in shaping the global order of the 21st-century as the challenges of climate change, security, and economic disruption.
