PM Modi in USA: Underlining convergence and benefits

By Aditya Vashisht

Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming visit to the US has garnered significant excitement. Day by day, it appears that the robustness of the Indo-US relationship is increasing.

The Prime Minister’s visit is a follow up to the efforts made by the US officials to reach out to India, with its Commerce, Foreign and Defense Ministers along with its NSA, having visited India within the first six months of 2023, thereby maintaining the robustness of the Indo-US partnership.

In this regard, it would be essential to observe the way in which both the sides perceive each other. The first point of convergence between US and Indian interests has been furnished by the rise of China, along with its assertiveness and aggression. For Americans, India acts as a counterbalance to the Chinese in Asia which helps them to maintain the balance of power in the Asian and Indo-Pacific region.

Under Joe Biden’s presidency, the strategy has been to focus upon cultivating and deepening relationships with fellow democratic nations in the region which ensures the creation of an arc of deterrence around China as well as also enables the US to maintain its relevance in the region.

For India, this strategy is in perfect sync upon its emphasis upon a free and open Indo-Pacific, since not only it is less confrontational, but also makes the relationship between it and the US as that of equals.

But in this Indian doctrine, one has to also keep in mind that New Delhi’s interest lay in the maintenance of ‘balance of power’, which means an absence of hegemony of Beijing as well as Washington. India’s focus is fixed upon the maintenance of its strategic autonomy, which brings forth a major friction point between it and the US.

The Russia-Ukraine war has been an eye-opener for the USA. Though it has once again activated solidarity among Western powers, the rest of world has been less enthusiastic and has refused to adopt the American discourse. This has been the result partly due to Russo-Chinese influence, and partly due to the desire of many nations to pursue an independent path based on their national interests.

As such, this has translated to a waning US influence in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, which also means a shrunk hegemony. With the presence of an aspiring hegemon in the form of China, the US at present is engaging in frantic diplomacy in order to forge partnerships so that in the event of a major disturbance initiated by China, it doesn’t feel as snubbed as it has felt during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

This explains its pursuance of a deep relationship with India, so that common interests translate into mutual benefits, in which India’s security concerns are allayed and at the same time, the US is able to maintain its leadership position.

But for India, the US-China rivalry is a much more conducive situation than an American or Chinese unipolarity or a US-China thaw with Asia being designated as a Chinese sphere of influence.  It is precisely why New Delhi regards a multipolar landscape as the best safeguard in which multiple centers of power ensure that the rivalry doesn’t become exclusive but takes place within a system in which other nation-states wield an influential voice. If China is being checked through QUAD, the US too is being checked through BRICS. Such a situation is in direct contrast to US aspirations, which is rooted in its concerns for hegemony.

India’s deepening relationship with the USA is driven by its concerns in the defence sector. The Russia-Ukraine war has outlined the nature of conventional conflicts, and has shown to us that resilient supply chains and indigenous manufacturing of weapons and high quality defence technology are vital in not only ensuring one’s survival but also in gaining an edge over one’s adversary.

India faces problem of overreliance on Russia regarding its defence equipment as well as lower capability for indigenous manufacturing. This has made diversification as well as the achievement of atmanirbharta the prime focus of India. As such, the US fits perfectly into the frame, since not only does it provide opportunities for diversification of equipment, but also its high quality defence technology provides a significant boost to the quality of weapons.

India has hit the right note by not only ensuring joint production of weapons in its territory, but also it is going to achieve genuine technology transfer for its LCA Tejas Mk 2 engine during the PM’s visit. These mark the steps towards the much coveted and essential goal of acquiring atmanirbharta.

Another factor which makes India pursue a deeper relationship with the US is the advantages of developmental diplomacy, under which both the nations join hands to aid the development of other nations in sectors like connectivity, trade, agriculture and so on.

This developmental diplomacy has transformed itself into a mutually beneficial relationship. The US, as aforementioned, is seeing a decline in its influence in regions apart from Europe and the Indo-Pacific. In these regions, individual ventures by it are not expected to meet success. As such it requires a partner nation which could be added into the framework so that ventures could become more acceptable.

India, due to its reputation of strategic autonomy, serves as an appropriate partner nation which could make US led ventures less hegemonic in appearance. For India, this partnership furnishes it with the opportunity to increase its clout among the nations of Africa and the Middle East and acquire significant strategic gains.

For example, the recently announced construction of West Asian Railway provides connectivity among Arab countries by rail and also connects India to the region by sea. Thus while the US maintains its relationship with Saudi Arabia and the UAE and counters the Chinese Belt & Road Initiative, India secures a direct sea connectivity to the Gulf region and enhances its status as a net development provider.   

From these points, it can be surmised that the points of convergence between New Delhi and Washington have increased considerably. As such, PM Modi’s visit serves as an attempt to maintain the strength of that convergence in a manner which is as mutually beneficial as possible.

(Author is a blogger based in Lucknow. The views expressed are personal opinion of the author. He can be reached at adityavashisht07@gmail.com)