At the invitation of President Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his visit to the United States on Wednesday. During the visit, Modi is expected to address Congress, an opportunity given only to the closest partners, and meet the Indian community as part of a huge event – a feature that has become an integral part of his travel protocol and foreign policy.
The visit marks the culmination of a relationship between Delhi and Washington that has left behind Cold War-era hostility. The visit will strengthen the two countries' commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and enhance strategic, security and technological partnerships. The United States, which is responsible, among other things, for the technological backwardness of the Indian army due to its support for rival Pakistan and its opposition to the transfer of technologies, is now asking them to open the doors to the Indian defense manufacturing market. India is a developing market with significant potential for products – mainly defense – made in the US.
This year, the current administration paid special attention to cooperation between the two democracies in the fields of advanced military technologies, despite the lack of a formal security alliance.
Pennsylvania Avenue arranged: American and Indian flags against the background of the White House, photo: AFP
Ahead of the official visit, the Biden administration has been pushing for shorter New Delhi's notorious bureaucratic procedures and a deal for U.S.-made armed drones. Since Modi's visit was scheduled, the State Department, Pentagon and White House in India have been pushing for progress on a 30-drone deal. Two other large deals appear to be on the agenda: one in semiconductors with leading American companies, designed to help India build its own chip system as a solution to the global crisis and reduce dependence on Beijing; And the second - joint production with General Electric of jet engines for Indian Army aircraft.
India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh receives US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin in New Delhi two weeks ago, Photo: AP
Despite the natural triangular relationship with Israel, closer relations between the two could bite into chunks of Israel's potential profits in defense and technology deals.
But business opportunities are only part of the picture. In an era of changing geopolitics, where the influence of "swing states" on larger processes is increasing, India's weight is also rising. Delhi, it should be remembered, is a key partner in the American effort to deal with China.
The leaders of the Quad alliance on the sidelines of last year's Bali summit, photo: AFP
Despite the multiplicity of challenges in global geopolitics, the supreme value for Indians remains the value of independence. India has replaced its policy of nonalignment with multiple partnerships, and India's national security adviser, Vikram Misri, has made it clear that New Delhi has no intention of entering into a military alliance with any country. However, India is willing to deepen its ties in forums that align with its interests, such as the Quadruple Alliance that includes the US, Australia and Japan, and formal partnership with the US, UAE and Israel (I2U2).
2024 is an election year for both the U.S. and India, and it's hard to ignore the fact that timing plays a role. The Indian community in the United States, numbering about 5 million citizens and having one of the highest median household incomes among ethnic communities, is also the fastest growing voting bloc. Also, Indian Americans are important voters in a number of swing states. The presence of the community in the public sphere has become more pronounced due to the integration of community members into the political system.
Alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the first Asian woman to hold the position, the next election will see other figures like Vivek Ramswam and Nikki Haley, running in the Republican primary. During his current visit, Modi is expected to meet about 20 Indian CEOs of American companies and address a community conference in front of 1,500 attendees.
Even if the Biden administration has decided to set aside differences, Modi's critics in Washington have already sharpened their knives, calling on the administration to do more to confront India's prime minister's nationalist policies, which they say hurt minorities, first and foremost Muslims. The Indian-American Muslim Council expressed its disappointment with the decision to allow Modi to address Congress: For years, the US has accused India of violating religious freedom, and the Biden administration, which supports human rights, chooses to turn a blind eye?
But the relationship between India and the US clearly demonstrates that realism has triumphed over ideology. China's assertiveness around the world is bringing the world's two largest democracies closer than ever before.
Dr. Oshrit Birodkar is an expert on India's foreign and security policy, entrepreneur, consultant to technology companies and senior researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security
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