Washington, Dec 10 (LatestNewsX) – Washington’s long‑standing view of the U.S.–India strategic partnership as the linchpin of Indo‑Pacific stability is now under intense examination, as leading experts warned lawmakers that the alliance may be confronting its toughest political and economic hurdles in years.
Ahead of a congressional hearing on India last Wednesday, three analysts presented remarks to the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on South and Central Asia. They acknowledged that defense, technology and maritime ties continue to deepen, but noted that tariffs, trade fights and the Trump administration’s renewed high‑level outreach to Pakistan’s military leadership have destabilised the relationship.
Sameer Lalwani of the German Marshall Fund said the United States sees India as “a major power – and one of the most consequential in the 21st century – given our shared interests, democratic institutions, and visions of international order.” He added that India is “poised to become a pole in the international system,” giving the U.S. strategic economic opportunities, technological scale and expanding military capability.
On the Indo‑Pacific, Lalwani stressed that the two countries “both seek a multipolar Asia that checks the pacing challenge of China, and its attempts at coercion, military aggression, or geopolitical dominance.” He pointed out that India’s forward posture along the Line of Actual Control reflects its effort “to defend its borders and deter further Chinese aggression or ‘salami‑slicing’ incursions.”
Lalwani warned that India‑China relations remain “largely adversarial,” shaped by “economic coercion,” “violent border clashes in 2020,” and “recent battlefield collusion with Pakistan’s military campaign against India.” He noted that India’s ties with Russia are narrowing to “hydrocarbons, nuclear energy, and conventional weapons,” while New Delhi is “decisively tilting towards America” in maritime security and emerging technologies.
Jeff Smith of the Heritage Foundation praised the India‑U.S. partnership as “one enduring success” amid two decades of U.S. foreign‑policy turbulence but argued that 2025 has been “challenging” for bilateral ties. He traced the downturn to the administration’s tariff actions, an India‑Pakistan confrontation in May, and Washington’s embrace of Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir.
Smith said expectations were high after Prime Minister Modi’s February visit, but “three things then happened to derail this positive momentum.” These included “25 per cent ‘liberation day’ tariffs,” India’s Operation Sindoor against Pakistan‑based terrorists, and a U.S. intervention portrayed at home as equating India with Pakistan. When a second tariff linked to Russian oil followed, Smith noted it left “pro‑American voices in New Delhi on the defensive.”
Dhruva Jaishankar of ORF America testified that bilateral progress is “at a political standstill,” chiefly due to “differences over (i) trade and tariffs and (ii) renewed US engagement with Pakistan’s military leadership.” He cautioned that this environment “risks jeopardising mutually‑beneficial cooperation on… trade, technology, energy, and defence cooperation” outlined earlier this year by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.
On the tariff dispute, Jaishankar explained that “India was imposed a tariff of 25 per cent, which took effect on August 7,” followed by another 25 per cent tied to Russian oil purchases. With a Bilateral Trade Agreement largely negotiated but unannounced, India now faces “among the highest” tariff levels applied to any major U.S. partner – a situation he said “prevents further opportunities at broadening and deepening the economic partnership.”
Yet Jaishankar emphasized that cooperation has not stalled across the board. He cited the new “10‑Year Defense Framework Agreement,” recent approvals for Javelin missiles and Excalibur munitions, and major exercises from Diego Garcia to Alaska. Joint work in space, AI, and energy has also progressed despite strained politics.
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