India Remains Essential to U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, Report Says
Rome–India remains indispensable to the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy despite recent tensions between the two countries, according to a report that said the partnership is grounded in shared interests involving maritime security, economic resilience, technology and regional stability.
The report said China’s growing assertiveness has strengthened cooperation between India and the United States but is not the primary force driving the relationship.
Instead, the partnership rests on the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean and Washington’s recognition that a secure, prosperous and influential India is critical to its broader Indo-Pacific objectives.
“The recent turbulence in India-US relations has prompted questions about whether one of the world’s most consequential strategic partnerships is beginning to lose momentum. A series of decisions by the Trump administration, including renewed tariffs on India, the symbolic removal of ‘Indo’ from references to the US Indo-Pacific Command, an official map depicting Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of Pakistan, and renewed outreach to Islamabad, have collectively generated unease in New Delhi,” the Italian Institute for International Political Studies said in the report.
“Taken together, these developments suggest a relationship facing unexpected headwinds. Yet such an assessment risks confusing political disruption with strategic reality. It is important to note that the current strains are less the product of structural divergence than of a personality-driven and transactional approach to foreign policy,” it added.
The report attributed much of the recent strain to President Donald Trump’s preference for “short-term bargaining, symbolic signalling, and bilateral leverage” rather than a fundamental reassessment of America’s long-term strategic interests.
“Personal leadership styles can alter diplomatic atmospherics, but they cannot erase geopolitical realities. This distinction is important because the India-US partnership has never rested solely on personal chemistry between leaders. From the civil nuclear agreement to the designation of India as a Major Defence Partner and the conclusion of foundational defence agreements, successive US administrations have recognised India’s unique strategic role,” the report said.
It identified the Indian Ocean as the central foundation of the bilateral relationship, saying U.S. and Indian maritime interests are increasingly aligned.
For the United States, the Indian Ocean is essential to maintaining its military presence, protecting energy supplies and securing global trade routes. The report cited locations ranging from Diego Garcia to the Strait of Hormuz as examples of the region’s strategic importance.
For India, the Indian Ocean is its most important strategic neighborhood, carrying nearly 95% of the country’s trade by volume and most of its energy imports.
“Ensuring secure Sea Lines of Communication is therefore not simply a maritime priority but an economic necessity. Here lies the real strategic convergence: both Washington and New Delhi seek an open, stable and rules-based Indian Ocean where no single power can dominate the maritime commons,” the report said.
The report concluded that the current difficulties should be viewed as temporary political friction rather than evidence of a lasting strategic split.
“The current strains should be understood not as the beginning of strategic separation but as a temporary political detour. The sooner Washington recognises that reality, the stronger and more enduring the partnership will become,” it said.
