But it would be a mistake to view India-US relations solely through a Chinese lens. America and India have  more in common than is generally acknowledged.

The most important factor contributing to the deepening ties is the growing number of Indian-Americans, which exceeds four million. Indian-Americans are disproportionately affluent, with the highest median income of any US ethnic group. They are also an increasingly influential voting bloc, and their prominent roles in political fundraising, on Congressional staffs, and in government offices have given rise to  Samosa Caucus. The US has had two governors and seven members of Congress of Indian heritage. US Vice President Kamala Harris’s mother is Indian, and Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is the daughter of Punjabi Sikh parents.

While their political views vary, many Indian-Americans have been increasingly outspoken on issues related to India. The continuous influx of more than 150,000 Indians to the US every year contributes to this dynamic. In addition to injecting nearly $8 billion into the US education system and related services, these migrants ensure a constant infusion of fresh perspectives. In the long run, Indian-Americans may help shape US policy on India in the same way that Jewish Americans play a role in shaping US policy on Israel.

In the past, it was often said that Pakistan was a US ally but not a friend, while India was a friend but not an ally. With the US out of Afghanistan, Pakistan has become a less significant ally. But, while India still isn’t one, owing to its insistence on strategic autonomy, even US skeptics who say the two countries’ interests are more aligned than their values concede that those interests warrant closer cooperation. Modi’s visit was one more indication of how close that cooperation has become.

Shashi Tharoor, a former UN under-secretary-general and former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Human Resource Development, is an MP for the Congress.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2023.

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