When Barack Obama defined the India-US relations as a “defining partnership of the 21st century,” it was underwritten with a long-term reassurance about the bilateral relationship. That assessment, however, was without the imagination of a stress-test for ties, least of all of the kind that the India-US relationship has undergone since the second Trump administration. The announcement of the trade deal by the leaders of the two countries brings an end to a rather tumultuous phase, which tested almost every fibre of the bilateral relationship, from trade and defence to geopolitics. While the fine print of the trade agreement is yet to come out, the announcements by both leaders suggest its broad contours. Yet, the past communication gaps between President Trump’s announcements and the official stand of the Indian government should act as a restraining factor, if not a deterrent.

Source: Indian Express February 03, 2026 07:50 UTC