US-India Partnership At Inflection Point, Say Policy Leaders
WASHINGTON, DC -Senior American lawmakers, diplomats and policy experts described the US-India relationship as being at an “inflection point” while reaffirming bipartisan support for stronger defense, technology and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Speaking at the annual Capitol Hill Summit 2026 organized by the US-India Friendship Council, participants highlighted concerns over trade tensions, visa restrictions and strategic uncertainty, while stressing that the long-term trajectory of bilateral ties remained strong.
Republican Senator Steve Daines, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Finance Committee, described India as one of America’s most important geopolitical partners and underlined the importance of trust in the relationship.
“When trust was in the room, good things happened,” Daines said, quoting former US Secretary of State George Shultz. “When trust was not in the room, good things did not happen.”
Congressman Ro Khanna said the partnership should be rooted in democratic values rather than limited geopolitical interests. “We must, as the United States, build a multiracial democracy and work with India as a multiracial democracy,” Khanna said.
Democratic Congresswoman Deborah Ross said educational exchanges remained central to the future of bilateral ties. “Indian students form the largest group of international students in the United States,” Ross said. “These bright students should be able to continue their education and research here.”
Former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma cautioned that recent tensions had exposed vulnerabilities in the relationship. “The system is flashing a bit yellow,” Verma said, citing declining student visas, rising anti-Indian sentiment and tariff disputes.
Verma also noted that bilateral trade and defense cooperation had expanded significantly over the past 25 years.
During a later panel discussion, Congressman Ami Bera said temporary political disagreements should not overshadow deeper strategic alignment. “Nothing fundamentally has changed about our long-term strategic interest,” Bera said.
India’s Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra said the partnership continued to receive bipartisan support in Washington. “We are natural partners not because of geography or compulsions of geography, but because of our shared values,” Kwatra said.
He also highlighted growing cooperation in areas including trade, semiconductors, defense and artificial intelligence, and described the Indian American diaspora as a key pillar of the partnership.
Former US Assistant Secretary of Commerce Ray Vickery stressed the importance of closer US-India cooperation on global issues.
US-India Friendship Council Chairman Swadesh Chatterjee highlighted the transformation in bilateral ties since the 1990s, including the 2008 civil nuclear agreement. (IANS)
