As the Indo-Us relationship is necessary to be enhanced to counteract the emergence of alliances between opposing nations the US shows interest in CAATSA waiver to India.

The American Congressman, Ro Khanna, mentioned that the United States is seeking to improve its defence partnership with India in the backdrop of India’s reliance on Russia’s military equipment exports for national defence. In an interview, he pointed out that countering America’s adversaries through a sanctioned act (CAATSA) waiver to India is in the best national interest of the United States and the US-India relationship.

On the 14th of July, the US House of Representatives approved an amendment with a majority to the national defence authorisation act (NDAA) that proposed to intensify US-India defence ties. This amendment was suggested by Khanna, a Democrat from California. He opined that it was the most imperative vote to enhance the US-India relationship since the civilian nuclear agreement.

Further, Khanna stated that as both countries are democratic, it is crucial to building a defence partnership that is a strategic partnership. This helps them combat rising alliance forces among opposing nations.

The Indo-US nuclear cooperation agreement, signed in 2008, improved relations between the two countries. This nuclear deal, offered with a special waiver to India by Nuclear Supplier Groups (NSG), allows India to sign nuclear cooperation agreements with many countries. It also helped India to separate its civilian and military programmes and place its civilian-military facilities under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.

The NDAA amendment is politically significant with its 300-plus votes from bipartisan groups, suggesting strong political support for the US President for waiving the sanctions. However, the amendment is not yet a part of the law. It is required to pass the Senate and be signed by Joe Biden. Only then will India be exempt from US sanctions for India’s cooperation with Russia’s missile systems. A vast majority of House members emphasised the Indo-US relationship as a critical element, thereby insisting the US President waive the sanctions.

The US is working on methods to have a pricing point that incentivizes India to switch while protecting important American technology, and it would be handled through bilateral communication. Ro Khanna has been advocating for India's potential membership in NATO Plus for the past two years.