Uniting Democracies: The US-India Alliance

>> Dinsha Mistree: US Policymakers have been working hard to build a strategic relationship with India in order to develop a counterweight to the People's Republic of China. India would seem like a natural partner in this endeavor. In recent years, China has repeatedly violated India's borders and has stymied Indian led initiatives at various international forums.

 

As the US engages in strategic competition with China and as we seek to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, the logic is straightforward: the adversary of our adversary should be our friend. But the promise that India holds for advancing US Interests is far greater than China alone. The reality is that whether China is in the picture or not, India has simply become too important to ignore.

 

Today, India is home to one in five people in the world, making it the most populous country on Earth. It boasts the world's fastest growing economy and its commitment to democracy has provided decades of political order for a diverse populace. And while China increasingly demands US attention, India, like the US also seeks stable and reliable partners in Central Asia and the Middle East.

 

The people to people linkages between the US and India are also critical. Nearly one in two Americans will be treated by a medical doctor of Indian origin. Almost every major American tech company relies on Indian immigrants. People of Indian origin are about 1.5% of the US population, but are estimated to provide between 6 to 8% of the US tax base.

 

The future of American innovation, the key driver of our economy, will depend on our immigration policies with India. And yet the two countries need to work together to stem the flow of undocumented Indian immigration and human trafficking. In 2023, more than 100,000 Indians were caught at the southern border, making India the third largest source country after Mexico and China for undocumented border crossings.

 

The relationship between these two countries is far from a true strategic partnership. This is because for decades following India's independence in 1947, leaders in both countries viewed their counterparts skeptically, creating an atmosphere of mistrust that pervaded through both countries foreign policy establishments. Under the leadership of President George W.

 

Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and with the guidance of Hoover fellows like Condlisa Rice, Philip Zelikow and David Mulford, the US And India concluded a historic civil nuclear agreement that proved such hesitations could be overcome. But the US India relationship is not yet on firm footing. In recent years, the United States efforts to prioritize its relationship with India have been undercut by basic blunders.

 

U.S. leaders continue to take inconsistent positions on India's commitment to democracy and human rights, publicly voicing concern for India's democratic record. Only for other US Leaders in the same administration to immediately walk back those comments. Such inconsistencies suggest a lack of mature understanding of India's politics and culture among the ranks of US Scholarly and foreign policy experts.

 

The US has not nurtured expertise on India to an adequate extent, with most major universities only recently creating India programs or or offering any India courses. Only a handful of student, industry, or military exchange programs exist between the two countries, and because of this lack of understanding, both sides still fear that the other will reverse on important issues such as economic integration, defense cooperation, and in their approaches to the People's Republic of China.

 

Therefore, it's critical for American policymakers and leaders to develop a deeper understanding of of India's political, economic, and social landscape. Here at the Hoover Institution's Huntington Program on Strengthening US-India Relations, our scholars are rigorously engaged in analyzing India's foreign policy, domestic political economy, and encouraging reforms that bring about prosperity and promote freedom.

 

We also seek to advance the US-India relationship by proposing and fostering collaborative projects between the two countries in areas such as defense, energy, and innovation. Not to be forgotten, our scholars examine the issues facing the growing diaspora as well. The relationship between the United States and India will likely shape the trajectory of freedom and prosperity in the 21st century.

 

Our two countries share common democratic roots, are committed to free markets, and seek to advance humanity through innovation and technological development, from advances in education and healthcare to energy independence. These shared traits cannot be taken for granted in an age where the virtue of freedom is constantly called into question.

 

The US and India need to forge a strong partnership based on not just a common rival but on mutual trust and understanding.