Over the past year, two legal bombshells have put the growing relationship between India and the US under its biggest test yet.
Just as the two countries announced an unprecedented expansion of defense and technology ties, U.S. prosecutors accused Indian government officials of plotting to assassinate Americans on U.S. soil.
Months later, the Justice Department filed fraud and bribery charges against India’s most prominent businessman, whose business grew at a dizzying pace under the power of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Still, the relationship continues. After decades of mutual distrust between the two countries, Eric Garcetti, who is stepping down as US ambassador to India, says the fact that nothing now seems to be shaking the relationship between the two countries is proof of their strength. spoke.
“I don’t think there’s anything big enough to threaten the trajectory of the U.S.-India relationship,” Garcetti said in an interview at the embassy in New Delhi on Saturday, two days before President Biden leaves office and President Donald Trump leaves office. Ta. J. Trump will be sworn in as his successor.
“This is incredibly resilient and almost inevitable,” Garcetti added. “What really matters is the inevitable pace and progress, including how quickly we get there.”
The Biden administration’s strengthening of ties with India comes after nearly two decades of efforts to dispel Cold War-era suspicions that culminated in 1998 with U.S. sanctions over India’s nuclear program.
The US government sees great potential in India as a geopolitical counterweight to an increasingly assertive China. India, already the world’s largest democracy, will replace China as the world’s most populous country in 2023. India’s demographic advantages and improved technological capabilities could help it diversify global supply chains away from China, a priority for the United States and other powers.
In his second term as president, Trump has advocated America First and threatened to impose steep tariffs on trading partners. Many countries’ leaders are upset, but Indian officials insist they are not among them.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said India enjoys a “positive political relationship with President Trump” and looks forward to further deepening in the future. Jaishankar, who attended the opening ceremony of the US consulate in the tech hub, Bangalore, also known as Bangalore, on Friday, said Modi said the two countries were overcoming “historic hesitations”. I told you.
Mr. Modi has forged a strong relationship with Mr. Trump, an important factor given the president-elect’s personal approach to international relations. During Mr. Trump’s first term, Mr. Modi held large rallies in his home state of Gujarat and large diaspora rallies in Texas, an increasingly important extension of Indian influence in American politics. He was invited to the event.
But some analysts warned that Trump’s unpredictability and transactional approach could pose risks to India.
Two issues in particular will definitely test the relationship and are likely to occur in the near future. During his campaign, Trump criticized India for gaining an unfair advantage in trade by maintaining high tariffs. And if Trump follows through on his promise to deport large numbers of illegal immigrants, India could also be drawn into the controversy.
According to , Indians make up the third largest group of illegal immigrants in the United States. pew research center. If Mr. Trump deports large numbers of Indians to their home country, it could be a major embarrassment for Mr. Modi.
Amita Batra, a New Delhi-based economist and trade expert, weighs in on Trump’s threat to raise tariffs even on traditional U.S. allies and cut deals with countries like Mexico and Canada. He said India should take the announcement of its intentions as a warning sign. His own first government was established.
“We have a very good relationship with President Trump, and we may say we have a friendly relationship with the United States, but how President Trump views that at a particular time is a completely different matter.” Dr Batra said this at an event at the social centre. and the economic development of New Delhi. “India needs to approach Trump 2.0 very carefully.”
Garcetti said in an interview that the bilateral relationship is “the most compelling, challenging and consequential” for both countries.
Garcetti, a former Democratic Los Angeles mayor, arrived in New Delhi in April 2023 after serving on a mission without an ambassador for two years. His confirmation process had hit a wall over accusations that he overlooked allegations of sexual harassment by aides when he was mayor.
Like a politician on the campaign trail, he made up for lost time with bursts of energy and activity.
He was everywhere, from the cricket field to the cafeteria to the cultural programs. Wearing a leather jacket, he also stood behind the piano as an opening act for jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Diane Reeves, who had come to perform at New Delhi’s Piano Man Jazz Club. ..
But by the time Mr. Garcetti took on the challenge, dance to trending bollywood songs Relations between the two countries hit a major hurdle during Diwali.
In India, right-wing trolls pursued American suspicions that the Indian government was involved in plots to assassinate American citizens advocating the separatist cause in India. This, along with the US indictment of business tycoon Gautam Adani, is evidence that the US is trying to curb India’s inevitable rise, nationalist voices online claimed. .
The Biden administration appears intent on quietly dealing with New Delhi, demanding accountability, without making the assassination a major diplomatic issue.
“I think it was a real moment of reflection and pause for those involved in the Capitol, in the White House,” Garcetti said of the assassination. “That didn’t stop the momentum. Relationships between countries are always multifaceted and simultaneous, not just between governments. But I think it was an immediate test of courage.”
Garcetti said the Biden administration was reassured by India’s response. He said New Delhi accepted the US request “not just for accountability, but also for institutional reform and assurances that something like this will never happen again.”
The Indian government’s investigation concluded last week and recommended legal action against unnamed individuals with “previous criminal links.” The report said the action “must be completed quickly,” and analysts see it as an attempt to start the Trump era with a clean slate.
“If we want to collaborate in other areas that are important to us, such as information sharing, trust is the foundation of everything,” Garcetti said. “But I was so impressed by how trust grows through challenge.”
Garcetti also questioned whether India can truly replace China in global supply chains, one of the questions looming over the deepening ties between the two countries.
India has reaped only a fraction of the benefits from the move away from China, with companies preferring places like Vietnam, Taiwan and Mexico where it is easier to set up business and where tariffs are lower.
Garcetti said India has made a dramatic leap forward since opening up its economy in the 1990s, several years behind China. He picked up an iPhone to explain his widely highlighted recent success. Currently, about 15 percent of iPhone manufacturing takes place in India, and this number is likely to continue to grow rapidly, he said.
But more broadly, despite infrastructure improvements and regulatory streamlining, India still struggles to attract foreign investment. Manufacturing is not growing fast enough to bring much-needed jobs to India.
“While India has a lot of progress, jobs and growth on its agenda, we are looking for better ways to make investing in India for exports seamless and frictionless,” Garcetti said. “Because, as you know, we still have one of the highest tariffs on so many elements of manufacturing.”
“They’re right when they say it used to be 95 percent bad,” Garcetti said. “But if that 5% is still twice or 10 times more than your competitors, then companies are like water: they flow where gravity takes them.”
