India-US ties entering positive phase: Ajay Bisaria
Washington, May 24
Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan and Canada Ajay Bisaria has said the India-US relationship is entering a "very positive phase" after months of strain under President Donald Trump's second term, even as concerns remain over Washington's handling of Pakistan and its rhetoric towards India.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Bisaria described US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's India visit as both a reassurance exercise and a strategic reset after what he called the "bad dream" period of Trump-era tariffs.
"But the Rubio visit is partially also a damage control visit," Bisaria said. "Because I think it was overdue in the sense of some signals of reassurance politically of reassurance from the US were required."
Bisaria said the rollback of Trump tariffs earlier this year helped stabilise the bilateral relationship after months of economic uncertainty.
"The way I look at the 16 month Trump period is that we went through a bad dream from August till February of the Trump tariffs," he said. "Once those tariffs were rolled back, things began to get better."
He identified three major "irritants" in the relationship during Trump 2.0. The first was the tariff dispute. The second, he said, was Washington's evolving relationship with Pakistan.
"Particularly after Operation Sindoor, this is a matter of concern in India," Bisaria said, adding that New Delhi felt the US had become "insensitive to India's concerns about the perpetrators of that terrorism."
Bisaria said successive US presidents since Bill Clinton had largely "de-hyphenated" India and Pakistan. However, he argued that the White House's recent engagement with Pakistan's military establishment had raised fresh concerns in New Delhi.
"It was being insensitive to India's concerns about the perpetrators of that terrorism and whatever transactional deal due to critical minerals, crypto and counter-terrorism," he said.
According to Bisaria, the Trump administration's Pakistan outreach was driven more by transactional considerations than by any larger strategic shift.
"This particular administration has been framing not just Pakistan, but other relationships, very transactionally," he said.
He cited three factors behind the renewed warmth between Washington and Islamabad: crypto-linked business interests, critical minerals cooperation and counter-terrorism coordination.
"The Pakistanis have been good at helping in the counter-terrorism in the sense they periodically deliver some high value terrorists to the Americans," Bisaria said.
Despite the friction, Bisaria said the broader India-US relationship remained on a positive trajectory because of strong cooperation in defence and technology.
"Overall the sense is that the relationship is still headed in a positive direction because defence technology and a very positive ambassador that the US has, Sergio Gor, all these are positive drivers of the relationship as well," he said.
Responding to a question, Bisaria pointed to a dramatic improvement in India-Canada ties under Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after years of tensions during Justin Trudeau's tenure.
"That turnaround really started last year in Cannes when soon after being elected, Mark Carney invited PM Modi for the meeting," he said.
He said both countries had moved sensitive security issues into a "professional security dialogue" led by national security advisers, allowing political ties and trade discussions to move forward.
"What both sides have done is depoliticised the security dialogue," Bisaria said. "And said, you guys manage it and the politicians will stay out of it."
Bisaria, a former diplomat and author, served as India's High Commissioner to Pakistan from 2017 to 2020 and later as High Commissioner to Canada. His comments come at a time when India is recalibrating ties with major global powers amid ongoing geopolitical tensions involving China, Iran and the Indo-Pacific region.
India and the US have steadily expanded cooperation over the past two decades through initiatives covering defence, technology, energy and strategic coordination in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad grouping involving India, the US, Japan and Australia has also emerged as a major pillar of regional cooperation.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting perspective from a seasoned diplomat. I think Bisaria is right that the defense and tech cooperation is the real backbone now. The Quad gives us a solid framework. But honestly, America's double standards on terrorism are frustrating - they'll take help from Pakistan on capturing some "high value terrorists" while ignoring our concerns about cross-border terrorism. 🙄
"Bad dream period" - couldn't have said it better! The tariff rollback was a huge relief for our MSMEs. But what I found most interesting is how Mark Carney is fixing India-Canada relations. If only other countries could learn that lesson - depoliticise security and let professionals handle it. India should focus on building strong ties with everyone while keeping our strategic autonomy. 🇮🇳
Good analysis from Bisaria. The US-Pakistan relationship has always been transactional - nothing new there. What matters is that India-US defense cooperation keeps growing regardless. After Operation Sindoor, we needed Washington to understand our red lines on terrorism. At least Ambassador Gor seems genuinely pro-India. Let's see if this positive phase actually delivers on trade and tech transfers. 🤔
Bisaria has always been a sharp observer of geopolitics. His point about the US being "insensitive" to India's terrorism concerns is spot on. They'll happily trade with Pakistan for critical minerals while ignoring what Islamabad does to us. But I'm hopeful - the Quad and iCET initiatives show real commitment. Just wish our media would focus less on drama and more on substance of these partnerships.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.