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India, US strengthen strategic ties amid global power shifts: CRS report
The report describes India as “the world’s ultimate swing state,” with its strategic choices playing a crucial role in shaping global power structures.
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Representative Image. / Canva
The United States has welcomed India’s growing global influence, and both nations have been expanding their strategic partnership, marking a significant shift in major power relations, according to a new report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s White House meeting with President Donald Trump on Feb. 13, the CRS report highlights shared concerns between the two governments, particularly regarding China’s increasing assertiveness.
“The US government has embraced India’s rising power. Across four successive presidential administrations—with bipartisan Congressional backing—the India-US partnership has deepened, reshaping global dynamics,” the report states.
CRS, an independent research arm of the US Congress, produces reports to inform lawmakers but does not represent official Congressional policy.
The report describes India as “the world’s ultimate swing state,” with its strategic choices playing a crucial role in shaping global power structures. While India has historically followed a nonalignment policy—now evolving into “multi-alignment” or “strategic autonomy”—both the Trump and Biden administrations have positioned India as a key player in the US Indo-Pacific strategy.
Since 2017, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)—comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia—has been central to this strategy. The report notes the personal rapport between Modi and Trump, suggesting that in Trump’s second term, defense cooperation will continue, alongside a likely emphasis on trade and immigration within a more transactional framework.
However, the CRS report also points to uncertainties, including potential US scrutiny over India’s human rights record, concerns about transnational repression, and New Delhi’s ties with Russia. Additionally, it warns that disruptions in US foreign aid to India—largely focused on health programs—could lead to setbacks in bilateral assistance.
As Modi and Trump prepare for their first official meeting since the US presidential inauguration, the evolving US-India relationship remains central to global strategic realignments.
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