• In March 2000, Bill Clinton visited India and became the first US President to visit India in 22 years.
• His visit was significant because it was the first visit of the US president after the Nuclear Tests by India.
• After almost 22 years now, the Indian Prime minister has been on a State visit to the United States.
• This state visit is important to enhance the India-US ties in various sectors and to deepen the trust between both countries.

NSG Waiver to Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)

• In September 2008, after the Nuclear Suppliers Group’s (NSG) waiver to the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Indian Prime Minister said, “It marks the end of India’s decades-long isolation from the nuclear mainstream and technology denial regime.”
• In June 2016, the Indian Prime Minister told the US Congress that India and the US have overcome “the hesitations of history”, and called for ever-stronger economic and defence ties.

Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)

• In May 2022, the overcoming of the “hesitations of history” developed into the Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET).
• The initiative was led by India’s National Security Advisors and American political advisor.
•  iCET was started in January 2023.
• It is looking at technologies to be shared in critical sectors such as defence, space, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.

India-US Relations under different Presidents and PMs

Recent State Visit by Indian Prime Minister

• It will be the first State Visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• He is only the third Indian leader after former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to have this privilege.
• The initiative on sharing critical and emerging technologies between “trusted geographies” is going to be a key element of the conversation during his state visit.
• During this visit he will address a joint meeting of Congress for the second time.
• The bilateral relationship has drawn on the current geopolitical situation, US strategic and economic concerns, India''s political and diplomatic positioning, and the slow process of building trust that has overcome the many challenges before the two democracies.

Nuclear Tests and Global Response

• After the nuclear tests of 1998, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee faced global criticism including from the US President.
• Indian PM explained India’s position in a letter written to President Bill Clinton.
• The nuclear test may have retarded India’s relationship with the US and the West somewhat but now the relations have begun to crystallize into a mutually beneficial and substantive relationship.
• Jaswant Singh, then Foreign Minister of India and Strobe Talbott’s talks led to President Clinton’s visit in March 2000.
• In the years that followed, the relationship strengthened and matured.

Ties Under Bush and Obama

• In George W Bush’s tenure the Indo-US nuclear deal, elevated ties to a higher strategic trajectory.
• Under his Presidency the global financial crisis hit, and the 26/11 terrorist attacks on Mumbai followed soon afterwards.
• During Barack Obama’s Presidency ties stayed the course, he became the only President to visit India twice.
• He hosted both Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi at the White House.

Ties under Trump and Biden

• Under Donald Trump’s presidency ties remained unpredictable but ties continued to strengthen.
• Quad framework was revived in his term, and the defence partnership was strengthened with the signing of the foundational agreements.
• He visited India just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
• In present Biden’s Presidency Ties have maintained their rhythm, especially on the Indo-Pacific strategy.
• However, the chaotic US exit from Afghanistan left India vulnerable at a time when India faced challenges along two of its borders.

Strategic Partnership and Defense Cooperation

• Depth and breadth in the India-US relationship have been acquired in the last couple of decades.
• India and US signed multiple agreements to provide the legal framework for enhanced interaction and exchange of information between the two militaries.
• These agreements include-
• Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA, 2016)
• Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA, 2018)
• Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA, 2020)
• LEMOA allows the two militaries to access supplies, spare parts, and services at each other’s bases.
• COMCASA allows the US to provide India with its encrypted communications equipment and systems so that Indian and US military commanders, aircraft and ships can communicate with each other through secure networks in peace and war.
• BECA allowed India to use US geospatial intelligence and enhance the accuracy of automated systems and weapons like missiles and armed drones.
• Other signed defence pacts: Industrial Security Agreement (ISA, 2019) and Memorandum of Intent on Defence Innovation Cooperation (2018).
• India-US Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap is expected to fast-track technology cooperation and co-production in areas of mutual interest.
• It is expected to be announced during the upcoming state visit of the Indian PM.
• Both countries have built strategic trust over time to consider the transfer of approximately 11 critical technologies in the GE414 engine deal.

Challenges in India-US Relations- Russia and China

Challenges on Russia

• Russian invasion of Ukraine has tested the durability of the Ind-US Ties.
• India has not criticised Russia’s actions and this discomfiture of its allies in Europe and the US.
• However, the Indian Prime Minister told the Russian President that “today’s era is not of war”.
• Also, the USA has shown an understanding of India’s complex ties with Russia.
• India is more than 60% dependent on Russian defence supplies, and its purchase of Russian oil at cheaper rates.

Challenges by China

• Both India and US acknowledge China as the biggest threat and rival.
• India had seen the threat from afar, but US administrations had ignored the warning signs until Obama mentioned the term "pivot."
• However, it was only during Trump''s presidency that the US unambiguously identified China as a strategic threat.
• President Biden has maintained this framing.
• With the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, China’s stock in the region has risen after the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan.
• China’s ambition and confidence to broker peace between the Saudis and Iranians, Israel and Palestine, and Russia and Ukraine have been noticed in the US and India.
• Because Russia and China have declared no-limits relations, India and the US have found reasons for greater convergence in approach.
• The Quad and I2U2 formats are reflections of those.

Other Challenges

• Democrats have always been vocal about human rights, press freedom, and minority rights, whereas India has resisted interference in "India''s internal affairs."
• India has positioned itself as a fellow democracy and a strategic counterweight to China.

Indian Prime Minister’s first state visit is hosted by the US President and First Lady, a lunch hosted jointly by the US’s Vice President and Secretary of State, and a reception by top US Congress lawmakers. It will be a milestone in India’s relationship with the US. This state visit is a visit in which there is a genuine and widespread deep interest in the United States.