Obama’s Second Term: “India is a big part of my plans”

U.S. - India Insight: January 2013

As President Obama assembles his new team, there is growing consensus within the Washington and New Delhi policy communities that the most fruitful areas to deepen the U.S.-India partnership reside in our economic and trade relations, security and defense ties, and collaboration on regional challenges.

With this in mind, in this issue of U.S.-India Insight, four concrete proposals are offered to advance our shared priorities, namely the establishment of a detailed “New Framework for U.S.-India Economic Cooperation;” the launching of a U.S.-India Job Creation and Skills Building initiative; the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on defense coproduction and coproduction; and the pursuit of a six-power regional initiative for Afghanistan.

Lastly, we recommend that one other part of President Obama’s second term “plans” should be a second visit to India, an opportunity to build on his successful visit of November 2010 and to mark a historic first in U.S.-India relations: the first time an American president has traveled to India twice while in office.

Karl F. Inderfurth