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Op-Ed JANUARY 23, 2026 | The Indian Eye 12

INDIAN INTEREST

What Washington Must Get Right

in Its Relationship With India

As a new US ambassador takes charge in New Delhi, ambition in the India–US partnership collides

with strategic uncertainty, erratic signals from Washington and an unresolved trust deficit

and familiarity are signals that he un-
derstands the importance of optics
and reassurance in diplomacy.
India, for its part, is likely to
respond positively. New Delhi has
shown remarkable consistency in en-
gaging successive US administrations,
irrespective of party. It has invested
heavily in defense interoperability,
welcomed American companies into
its market, and aligned with the US
on issues ranging from the Indo-Pa-
cific to critical technologies. India’s
SHOBHAN SAXENA response to Gor’s agenda will not be
obstructionist; it will be cautious, cal-
he arrival of a new American ibrated and pragmatic.
ambassador in New Delhi But positivity alone cannot
Tis usually a procedural mo- bridge a trust gap. That requires a
ment, marked by polite platitudes conscious effort from the US side
and predictable promises. Yet Sergio to demonstrate strategic steadiness.
Gor’s presentation of credentials to If Washington wants India to play a
President Droupadi Murmu comes larger role in balancing China, se-
at a time when India–US relations curing supply chains and stabilizing
are anything but routine. Beneath Sergio Gor’s background as a political operative close to Donald Trump gives him access and the Indo-Pacific, it must also accept
the talk of “promise and opportuni- credibility within the American system India’s need for autonomy and policy
ty” lies a relationship facing familiar space. Pressure tactics, public admo-
frictions, new uncertainties and, most ton’s foreign policy has become in- straints and interests. nitions or abrupt policy shifts only
worryingly, a lingering trust deficit creasingly erratic, shaped by domes- Trust, once dented, is hard to reinforce Indian skepticism.
that neither side can afford to ignore. tic political compulsions and sharp rebuild. India remembers past sanc- The larger truth is that the US
Gor has been explicit about his swings in tone depending on who tions, technology denials and mo- needs India as much as India needs
ambition. He wants to take the part- is speaking. This unpredictability ments when US strategic priorities the US—perhaps more than Wash-
nership “to the next level,” focusing complicates decision-making in New shifted abruptly. Even as defense co- ington is willing to admit. In a frag-
on defense, trade, technology and Delhi, where long-term strategic operation has deepened and military mented world marked by geopolitical
critical minerals. On paper, this planning is prized and sudden policy exercises have expanded, the shadow rivalry and economic decoupling, In-
agenda aligns neatly with India’s own reversals are viewed with suspicion. of conditionality has never fully dis- dia stands out as a rare convergence
priorities—strategic autonomy with Donald Trump’s comments on appeared. For Indian policymakers, point: a large democracy, a growing
stronger military capabilities, access India and Prime Minister Narendra the concern is not whether the US val- economy and a strategic actor with
to advanced technologies, resilient Modi illustrate the problem. Am- ues India today, but whether that val- independent credibility. For the US,
supply chains and a bigger role in the bassador Gor insists that Trump’s uation will survive the next election partnership with India is not a favor;
global economy. New Delhi has little friendship with Modi is “real” and cycle or policy pivot in Washington. it is a strategic necessity.
reason to resist such a framework. that “real friends can disagree.” That This is where Gor’s role becomes A positive response, therefore,
Indeed, India has repeatedly shown may be true at a personal level. But significant. His background as a po- must begin in Washington. Clear
that it wants deeper engagement public remarks that question In- litical operative close to the Trump signals on trade, restraint in rhetoric,
with the United States, provided it is dia’s trade practices, hint at punitive ecosystem gives him access and cred- and consistency in strategic commit-
based on mutual respect and strate- tariffs, or frame relations in purely ibility within the American system. ments would go a long way in restor-
gic consistency. transactional terms are not helpful. If used wisely, that proximity could ing confidence. Ambassador Gor can
That caveat matters. The central They feed a narrative in India that help translate Indian concerns into play an important role in conveying
challenge in current India–US rela- the United States is an unreliable Washington’s political language. His this reality back home. Diplomacy,
tions is not a lack of shared interests partner, quick to demand alignment emphasis on high-level relationships after all, is not just about ambition; it
but a lack of predictability. Washing- but slow to acknowledge India’s con- and his attempt to project warmth is about reassurance.

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