India-US ties Have Evolved as Expanded, Comprehensive and Nuanced Strategic Partnership: Official

The relationship between India and the US has evolved as an expanded, comprehensive and nuanced strategic partnership that includes deeper engagement on global issues and is jointly responsive to geopolitical concerns, a former Obama administration official has said.

These remarks were made by Arun M Kumar, managing partner, Celesta Capital during an interview with PTI following Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, almost exactly ten years after his first official visit as Prime Minister.

Author of The Global Trade Paradigm, Kumar was US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets in the Obama administration at the time of Modi's first visit to the US as Prime Minister, in September 2014.

“I will note that concerns have moved from an essentially bilateral conversation in 2014 to a greater embrace of global concerns," Kumar said.

"From an emphasis on the importance of a strong US-India partnership in 2014, today we see the relationship evolving as an expanded, comprehensive and nuanced strategic partnership that includes deeper engagement on global issues and is jointly responsive to geopolitical concerns,” Kumar told PTI in an interview.

“In 2014, the concerns focused on regional stability – Afghanistan, Pakistan and the threats posed by terrorism. Collaborative approaches to the Indo-Pacific were nascent ten years ago. Today we see a clear articulation on a joint strategy for the Indo-Pacific that embraces security and economic dimensions and emphasises a rules-based international order,” he said.

The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.

The US, India and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military manoeuvring in the region, vital to global trade.

“We see the US and India acting together in multilateral configurations like the Quad and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework; these are examples of moving beyond the purely bilateral," he said.

"These frameworks are responsive to the concerns that the US and India share on China’s aggressive postures in the Indo-Pacific region. This compounds the risk of over-dependence on China for a range of inputs and products that are critical to global value chains," Kumar said.

Over the decade, there has been an increase in engagement in joint defence cooperation, the former US official said.

Kumar said more recently, there has been an increase in emphasis on collaboration in emerging technologies, including cybersecurity, AI, and space exploration.

“The US-India partnership has significantly expanded in the realms of technology and climate action..."

Responding to a question, Kumar said in 2014, then-President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Modi committed to facilitate the actions necessary to increase trade, which was then at a $100 billion level, another fivefold, i.e. to $500 billion. Ten years later, bilateral trade stands at around $200 million, a healthy increase over the last few years...Cross-border investments have grown significantly as India has become an important node for supply chain resilience, he said.

“We have seen increased activity in energy security with the U.S. becoming a significant supplier to India. India has made vast strides in its renewable energy capacity, The focus on clean energy and Paris Agreement commitments on renewable energy and sustainability continue to receive importance,” he said.