The Long View on India

Part of the Global Forecast 2015

Ironically, the U.S. rebalance to Asia is viewed by some in India as a pivot away from their country. Repeated U.S. attempts to initiate top-down cooperation in strategic sectors, such as civilian nuclear power and defense trade, have experienced uneven success. Today, some senior U.S. policymakers privately question efforts to court a nation that often appears unwilling to reciprocate U.S. outreach. Few would argue that, in 20 years, a rising India will not play an important role in regional stability. For the United States to be a partner in this future, it must commit to finding small ways to work toward this vision—even if there will be few instances of short-term gratification.