While Obama administration officials and representatives of US industry strongly expressed their angst over India's rejection of the American fighter aircraft but did not want to be quoted by name, leading South Asia policy wonks in Washington had no such compunctions in interviews with rediff.com.
"Contradicting the emerging narrative, Indian-Americans remain committed to the Democratic Party. Nearly three-quarters of registered Indian-American voters intend to support Joe Biden this Fall, compared to just 22 per cent for Donald Trump," it said.
The strengthening ties between India and United States have made Pakistan paranoid. Fearing that US might just discard it, Pakistan is now turning to its "enduring friend" China, believe America's powerful couple in diplomatic circles -- former ambassadors Howard and Teresita Schaffer. Aziz Haniffa reports
Blinken and Indian leaders on Wednesday will discuss a plethora of pressing issues such as the fluid situation in Afghanistan, regional security concerns, COVID-19 response and ways to boost Indo-Pacific engagement, people familiar with the agenda of talks said.
A total of 168 people, including 107 Indians and 23 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, were flown from Kabul to the Hindon airbase in a C-17 heavy-lift military transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has acknowledged that the Taliban, with whom his government reached a truce deal in the restive Swat valley days ago, are "murderous thugs and militants" who "pose a danger to Pakistan, the United States and India".
There has been no noticeable change in Pakistan's attitude in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Friday. He added that actions, not statements made by the neighbouring country, were important.
Since the US and India broadly share similar interests in Sri Lanka, they should coordinate closely to ensure that the country preserves its democratic institutions, says Lisa Curtis
The maiden bilateral meeting between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will further strengthen the US-India strategic ties and allow the leaders to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and how the two countries can work together to fight terrorism, a senior White House official has said.
Crisis in Europe is casting a pall over everything, and has slowed down growth not only in the United States, but also in countries like India, China and Brazil, the former US President Bill Clinton has said.
The international community must be clear that such a behaviour is unacceptable, a top US senator said.
India and US have agreed to redouble their efforts to iron out the key trade and economic differences between both the countries before the visit of President Barack Obama to New Delhi in early November.
"A Biden administration will be mostly positive for India," said Rick Rossow from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think tank. "I expect most positive areas of cooperation -- notably defence -- to be maintained," he said.
In a US-India Joint Leaders' Statement issued after the first in-person bilateral meeting between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Friday, the two leaders underscored the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan.
In a show of solidarity, the CEOs of some 40 top American companies have come together to create a global task force to mobilise resources to help India fight the battle against Covid-19.
Prime Minister Modi needs to call Biden next month and clearly say: 'Mr President, the threat from China is clear and present. We, in New Delhi, have determined it to be an urgent national priority to outfit our submarines and aircraft carriers with nuclear propulsion and we want to cooperate with America on this programme",' advises Ajai Shukla.
A genuine attempt was made to reset relations in a positive way, signalling a stepping back from the brink of conflict, much to the relief of the world, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Rapid strides in digital payments notwithstanding, the Indian economy will likely remain cash-dependent for many years to come, at least that's what the automated teller machine makers and cash logistics companies are betting on. After growing at over 20 per cent for most of 2020, currency in circulation growth fell to 8.5 per cent as of October 29 this year, shows data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The reason for the steep rise in currency last year was the uncertainties related to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, where people preferred to hoard cash to meet exigencies.
While the gap is likely to drop by up to 21 per cent in 2008 from the levels seen in 2006, it is still high enough to keep India's competitive edge as a low-cost market, says a white paper by leading executive search firm Manpower.
Two powerful US Senators have urged President Joe Biden not to impose provisions of the punitive Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act against India for buying the S-400 surface-to-air missile system from Russia.
Dismissing Pakistan's allegation that India was involved in the recent attack on the Federal Investigation Bureau building in Lahore, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Wednesday said it was "most unthinkable" and a "falsehood" that was being spread.
According to the Biden-Harris Transition, 'the president-elect noted that he looks forward to working closely with the prime minister on shared global challenges, including containing COVID-19 and defending against future health crises, tackling the threat of climate change, launching the global economic recovery, strengthening democracy at home and abroad, and maintaining a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region'.
China on Monday expressed the hope that the Taliban will stand by its commitment of establishing an "open and inclusive" Islamic government in Afghanistan and will ensure a peaceful transition of power without violence and terrorism.
'There are three pillars of concern: The expansion of Hindu majoritarianism, the concentration of executive power and decay of independent institutions, and curbs on free expression and dissent.'
The United States is closely monitoring the situation along the India-China border, a senior official said on Tuesday and expressed concerns over Beijing's pattern of ongoing attempts to intimidate its neighbours.
The airline had cancelled the bookings and offered all affected passengers a travel voucher of $300. The lowest US-India fare being offered by British Airways prior to the mistaken ad, not including taxes, was over $750.
The terrible beauty of Doval's initiative is that it is all about a new journey rather than about a set compass pointing toward a pre-determined destination, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Juster said as democracies, the US and India are committed to a rules based order as well as to peace and diplomacy.
'I believe it is difficult to develop a true close relationship with another country, unless there is a defence relationship,' he said.
The United States has described as "discriminatory and restrictive" the Indian government not allowing American carriers operate chartered flights on Indo-US routes even though Air India was doing so under the Vande Bharat Mission.
Expressing concern over the growing trade imbalance between the United States and India, outgoing US Ambassador to India Robert D Blackwill said on Wednesday that American exports to India have languished at low levels since 1997.\n\n\n\n
Events in America have strengthened the hand of those leaders there who wish India well, but think of India as being a collection of Indians.
If Indians are mistreated, they will object, asserts Aakar Patel.
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday asserted that the US was 'entering a new promising era with India'.Clinton also talked about the menace of terrorism. "US will support all efforts by India in its fight against terrorism. We are supportive of any effort the world over to tackle the problem of terrorism," said Clinton.She reiterated, "We are working together to defeat terrorism."
India and the United States have set up a working group to promote greater interaction between legal professionals and to facilitate trade in legal services between the two countries.
'China's action towards India really gives you a good insight into how the Communist Party of China is thinking these days'
Putting behind the post-Pokhran freeze on export of dual use technologies, the US has inked an agreement with India to substantially boost bilateral high technology trade to further consolidate the strategic relationship between the two countries.
United States Pharma giant Pfizer is in the final stages of an agreement with India to supply anti-COVID-19 vaccines, Chief Executive Officer Dr Albert Bourla said on Tuesday, observing that the domestically manufactured vaccines would be the backbone of vaccinating the Indian people.
