Amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US appears to be intent on strengthening ties with India, an more and more key democratic ally of the West.

The US Senate has taken just a few vital steps, notably over long-pending points, up to now few days, sending a powerful pro-India sign. These embody the appointment of a brand new ambassador and validation of India’s stand on a decades-old border dispute with China.

“We see India as a trusted technology partner and we want to deepen our tech relationship with India…We want to deepen our technology relationship with India,” Gina Raimondo, US commerce secretary said last week, throughout a four-day go to to the south Asian nation.

Earlier, a delegation of US Senators visited India final month to debate a partnership in important applied sciences, clear vitality, and joint improvement. Building a trusted provide chain was additionally amongst its key focus areas.

While India is actively diversifying its provide chain companions, the US is inking offers with it to safe commerce cooperation and diplomatic allegiance. This additionally comes amid China’s deepening ties with Russia, which is clearly bothering the US.

Given India’s personal rising strategic place and booming trade with Russia, the US and key European nations have placed much importance on it. India being a serious purchaser of Russian army gear doesn’t sit effectively with the West both.

Meanwhile, bilateral trade between the US and India stood at $119 billion in fiscal 2022-23, making the US, India’s largest buying and selling associate.

“Our people-to-people ties affirm the closeness of our relationship. 200,000 Indians are studying in America and enriching our schools and universities. We depend on each other on a daily basis: Indians use WhatsApp to communicate and many American companies rely on Infosys to operate,” Janet L Yellen, US treasury secretary, mentioned at a roundtable assembly with US and Indian tech enterprise leaders final month.

Appointment of US ambassador to India

On Wednesday (March 15), the US Senate confirmed Eric Garcetti as the following ambassador to India after a gap of more than two years. Since January 2021, the US has not had an envoy in New Delhi, which is the longest period of diplomatic vacuum between the 2 nations.

Garcetti’s nomination had been pending earlier than the US Congress since July 2021. It was caught within the Senate amid allegations of sexual misconduct in 2020 by an aide throughout his tenure as Los Angeles mayor.

During the final Congress, the ruling Democratic Party couldn’t garner sufficient help for Garcetti. This time, nevertheless, Garcetti acquired the place confirmed with 52-42 votes in the Senate.

With Garcetti now within the saddle, issues appear beneficial for the US in addition to India, given the stable backing US president Joe Biden and different senior lawmakers have given him.

McMahon Line is India’s worldwide border with China

Earlier this week, the US Senate formally acknowledged the McMahon Line because the worldwide boundary between India and China alongside India’s japanese state of Arunachal Pradesh. A Senate decision additionally mentioned Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls “South Tibet,” is an integral a part of India.

This comes as a serious enhance for India’s stand on the long-running border dispute with China, with which it shares a poorly demarcated 2,100-mile border. Troops of the 2 nations have often clashed alongside this contentious boundary, leaving a number of troopers lifeless through the years. A short flare-up in 1962 was the bloodiest such occasion.

Now that the US has made its stance on the essential McMahon line clear, it could potentially cooperate with India on safety associated to this space. In current years, the US has toughened its place on China, limiting technology exports to that nation and ramping up its South China Sea army positions.

Moreover, additionally it is making an attempt to shift its provide chains away from China.