ASPI

APLN member Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan writes on the implications of a Harris presidency for US foreign policy from an Indian perspective. She highlights that bipartisan support for closer US-India relations is likely to continue under a Harris administration, but India is unlikely to be a major focus.

There are plenty of divisions within the US foreign policy establishment—such as on Gaza and Ukraine. But on India, there is a general bipartisan support for closer relations, which is likely to continue in a Harris administration. That said, it is also likely to be a much more stable relationship than what we might see under the mercurial Donald Trump.

However, there is little indication to suggest that India would be a major focus of a Harris administration either. New Delhi itself appears to value its strategic autonomy more than closer relations with the US. There have been recent tensions related to alleged Indian covert operations targeting Sikh separatists in the US and other countries. The Indian foreign policy establishment is also somewhat wary of Harris’s possible focus on democracy and human rights in foreign policy, which has been another source of irritation in US-India relations. 

Nevertheless, Harris can be expected to work through these issues with India because the relationship is important to both countries given their common worry about China’s growing power and behavior.

The full article can be accessed here.

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