India-US Partnership Need More Mutual Respect

President Joe Biden initiates efforts to deepen America’s important pattern India, amidst tensions stemming from conflicts and differences in opinions, has strained the strategic partnership between the US and India

The strategic partnership between the United States and India is important to maintaining the power balance in the vast Indo-Pacific region. The US is India’s second-largest trading partner, and strengthening the ties between the two countries is one of the rare bipartisan foreign policies.

The upcoming joint military exercise known as Yudh Abhyas (War Practice) in a high-altitude area highlights the partnership’s growing strategic significance. India holds more annual military practices with the US than any other country as the countries seek to improve their forces’ interoperability.

Since 2019, the US has used the sanctions on Iran’s oil exports to deprive India of cheaper Iranian oil, thereby turning it into the largest market for US energy exporters. The US has already surpassed Russia as India’s largest weapons supplier. The American defense sector views conflicts as a great opportunity for surging arms sales to India. In addition, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged Indian officials to avoid buying Russian equipment and purchase US-made weapons in the future.

The Biden administration’s disingenuous claim that strengthening Pakistan’s US-supplied F-16 fleet will advance counterterrorism has prompted a strong response from India. During a recent visit to Washington, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar criticized the deal. In light of this, some analysts have revived the old theory that US-India ties fare better under Republican administrations. Bilateral relations flourished during President Donald Trump’s administration, relying heavily on India to develop its Indo-Pacific strategy.

The Biden administration has been trying to leverage human-rights issues against India. In April, US State Secretary Antony Blinkedn alleged a rise in human rights abuses in the country, prompting Jaishankar to address that India is similarly concerned about the human rights state in the US.

As US and India are both bitterly polarized democracies, officials should refrain from statements inflaming domestic tensions. If the US desires to shift strategic focus to the Indo-Pacific, the country must improve relations with its most critical strategic Asian ally. With that, Biden should not squander the historic opportunity to forge a soft alliance with India. If the US is to prevail in their elevating rivalry with other countries and avoid strategic overreach, they need India’s support more than ever. This bilateral partnership is possible only through mutual respect.