US President-elect Donald Trump, who has a great rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is anticipated to build on the gains gained during his first term and keep fortifying ties with India.
Lisa Curtis, the former deputy assistant to President Trump and senior director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council from 2017 to 2021, told a section of media that she anticipated the same setbacks for India and the US as during Trump’s first term, including tariffs, reliance on Russia for the supply of weapons, and oil purchases from Iran.
“With India, President Trump will continue where he left off. He has excellent intentions and feelings for India, and I see this as a chance to strengthen our alliance and keep developing our connection,” Curtis stated.
She claimed India’s significance and involvement in addressing China’s issues strengthened the US-India relationship during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2021. Trump and Prime Minister Modi also have a personal relationship and regard for one another.
Lisa Curtis, a senior fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, a think tank, stated, “We could see that during the event when Prime Minister Modi addressed 50,000 Americans at the Astrodome in Houston. We saw that when President Trump addressed 100,000 Indians in a stadium in Ahmedabad. That relationship helped cement much of the progress that was made.”
“Technology controls were lifted on India. India gained access to armed drone technology. Now it’s buying 31 Sea Guardian Predators. We saw the building up of the defence and security relationship and confidence and trust,” she said, adding that the Quad was started during that period.
She also pointed out that Trump faced many hurdles during his first term.
Curtis highlighted that this term’s priority must be the security partnership between the two countries. She added, “This is an area where the interests of both sides converge. The United States and India have many concerns regarding China, such as its attempts to dominate the technology market and its efforts to be the supreme leader in Asia. Neither India nor the United States want that to happen. So, they have a deep mutual interest in cooperating.”
She did, however, assert that both nations could only form a “sort of an alliance” cooperation rather than an alliance. In the event of a crisis or conflict, whether in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, or another flare-up on the India-China border, she hoped they could work together to dissuade China and prepare both nations.
According to Curtis, the Trump administration will continue to attempt to persuade India to lessen its reliance on Russian military hardware.
Curtis claimed that because of sanctions, the US pressured India to reduce its oil imports from Iran during Trump’s first term. Although India agreed, its stance was affected by several factors, including its energy needs, closeness to Iran, the Iran-Pakistan dynamic, and the existence of a sizable Shia community.
“The Modi administration demonstrated strength by denouncing the terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7 and offering assistance to the country. The Modi government’s policies will be remarkably similar to those of the Trump administration. Naturally, that will affect the Modi government’s ties with Iran to some extent,” she stated.
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