India-US ties weakened due to Trump policies, opportunity lost against China: US lawmaker

Washington (The Uttam Hindu): Indian-origin US Congressman Suhas Subramanyam has said that former President Donald Trump’s policies have seriously weakened relations between India and the United States. He stated that the deterioration in ties between the world’s two largest democracies has harmed both countries’ economic and strategic interests.

Subramanyam said, “The Trump administration has badly damaged US–India relations. This is the same administration where, during Trump’s first term, the President had actually strengthened ties with Prime Minister Modi.” He added that the current decline in relations is driven by both personal and policy differences.

According to the lawmaker, personal issues related to Prime Minister Modi have led Trump to undermine strong economic ties that had been built over many years. This, he said, has negatively affected both nations.

Warning against weakening the relationship, Subramanyam said there is no logic in damaging ties with India. He stressed that if the US strengthens its partnership with India, it can significantly boost its economic power and global influence. Referring to China, he said India is a natural ally for the US in many ways, being one of the world’s largest democracies.

He further said that cooperation between the two countries can be expanded in defence, economy and technology sectors. Highlighting global supply chain shifts as a major opportunity, he noted that India is a natural partner for companies looking to move investments out of China, especially in manufacturing and industrial collaboration.

However, he also pointed out that tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have hurt these possibilities. According to him, the administration’s rhetoric and actions on tariffs have weakened India–US economic ties. “There are many people on both sides who support strong relations, but when you look at the actions of the current Trump administration, it becomes extremely difficult,” he said.

Subramanyam also expressed concern over US foreign policy, stating that the promises made by the Trump administration to end wars and strengthen economic ties were not fulfilled. Instead, the situation worsened. He said that tariffs and strained relations with allies have reduced trust in the US, with many countries no longer viewing America as a reliable partner.

Talking about the way forward, he said Congress needs to repair the relationships that have deteriorated over the past year, including ties with India.

He referred to the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which notes that over the past two decades, defence, technology cooperation and people-to-people ties between India and the US have steadily grown. This includes trade, defence procurement and strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Experts believe the India–US partnership plays a key role in balancing China’s growing influence, making congressional concern over prolonged weakness in bilateral ties a serious issue