Foreign policy experts said the overall positive momentum in India-US relations will remain unchanged, although there may be a difference in approach towards New Delhi between the Trump administration and the Harris government. Americans voted to elect a new president On Tuesday (November 5, 2024).
Democratic leader Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump are in a tough competition to occupy the White House as the 47th President of America.
Dhruv Jaishankar, executive director of the Americas chapter of the Observer Research Foundation, said the direction of relations is expected to be different in the areas of trade, energy and immigration.
“For Trump, I think there will be some tough conversations on trade and immigration, although on many other issues he has talked about a very positive relationship with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
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“On the other hand, with Harris, there will be some continuity as we have seen under the Biden administration over the last four years. But I think there will be more of a progressive agenda and foreign policy, and that may have some implications for relations with India.” “For,” he said.
Mr Jaishankar said India-US cooperation in the energy sector will be “huge” going forward, but pointed out how the approach could be different from the Harris administration or the Trump government.
“The nature of this will be different under a Republican or Democratic administration. A Democratic administration will focus more on climate change, renewable energy and clean and green energy,” he said.
The strategic affairs expert elaborated, “Republicans will focus more on fossil fuels, oil and gas. Either way, I expect a very close energy relationship because India and the US are the two largest consumers.”
Kapil Sharma, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs, said the next US president will have to be friendly with India because he will have no choice.
“I think both the leaders have to be friendly (with India). I don’t think they have any choice. India will be the second largest economy in the world sometime in the next 20-30 years. “And that’s not a country you can ignore.”
“I’m not worried about any leader; how they will act towards India. It’s about how they handle some of the controversial issues,” said Mr Sharma, who had a visit from the office of Senator Robert Torricelli. Also has experience of Capitol Hill. and Congressman Frank Pallone.
“But if you think about the ups and downs in the world and the geopolitics of the world over the last few years, the relationship has not derailed as it might have 15-20 years ago,” he said.
The renowned foreign policy expert, who also serves as principal at Capstone Strategies, said he is confident that the India-U.S. No matter who becomes president, the relationship will continue to flourish.
“I am not worried about any leader. I am confident that any administration will work with India,” he said.
Capitol Hill veteran Anang Mittal, who also served as House Speaker Mike Johnson’s digital chief, said Trump may be friendlier to India than Harris.
“I think it’s clear that the India-US partnership is very strong and will continue to exist regardless of which party comes to power,” he said.
“It’s clear that Donald Trump is going to be friendlier than the Harris administration,” he said.
On the US presidential race, Mr Mittal said it was one of the tightest contests seen in decades.
He said, “Kamala Harris seems to have closed the gap a little more in terms of her approval ratings. Donald Trump has made a historic comeback from the political wilderness since he faced legal troubles last year.”
“Whether you support him or not, I think Trump has made the greatest political comeback since Richard Nixon in terms of the political struggles he has had over the last four years,” Mr. Mittal added.
published – November 05, 2024 11:36 PM IST