IN the fifth India-US Strategic Dialogue, US Secretary of State John Kerry has described India as an indispensable partner for the 21st century. Kerry also said that the BJP government’s motto of growth through collaboration among all was laudable and advocated India should have a place in the UN Security Council. This should signify a new turn in Indo-US relations. India’s lukewarm interest in economic liberalization, the slowing down of FDI and the retrospective tax amendment had disappointed US business. India has also negatived India-US nuclear commerce owing to US opposition to the Nuclear Liability Act. Obama had earlier criticized outsourcing and imposed visa caps on Indian IT companies. The Devyani Khobragade affair further worsened relations. The new government also has rubbed the US the wrong way by supporting Russia against Ukraine and Palestine on the Gaza crisis.
Kerry has tried to bridge the gap. Indian companies such as Tata are creating about 1 lakh jobs in the US. India needs US investment to accelerate its economic growth. It will do well to be friendly with US business. What is surprising was its stonewalling tactics at the WTO. No wonder Prime Minister Narendra Modi is particularly interested in BRICS. But now that his visa issue has been cleared up and he is slated to visit Washington later this year, it will be necessary to reboot US ties. A balance should be struck between South-South cooperation and Indo-US collaboration. The US is pulling out of Afghanistan this year and it emphasizes the need for a new counter- terrorism strategy in the region with India and the US working in tandem.
