Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

With the recent improvement in India's global strategic profile by way of its growing economic and defense capabilities, the country has found a significant place in the US strategic schema since the end of the Cold War. The most significant impact has been felt in defense ties. Once prohibited from the procurement of crucial high-technology transfers, India in recent years has been a recipient of major defense platforms and technology.

With a strategic partnership rooted in their shared democratic values, the US and India share a wide range of critical national interest, from expanding trade and defense relationships to ensuring maritime security and freedom of navigation; from countering terrorist networks to promoting clean energy and sustainable development.

But there is growing frustration among US policymakers over both the clarity and deliverability of its strategic partnership with India. Prior to agreeing the New Framework Agreement on Defense, in 1995, Washington and New Delhi signed an Agreed Minute on Defense Relations, which was valid for 10 years. There were originally disagreements over exactly how to renew the 10 year Defence Framework Agreement, but Obama and Modi agreed a deal at the recent meeting.

The 2005 agreement enjoined both sides to collaborate in 13 specific areas, including participation in multinational operations, expanding two-way defense trade, expanding collaboration on missile defense, conducting exchanges on defense strategy and increasing intelligence cooperation. Much of this was undeliverable on the Indian side. The US is therefore focused on an agreement which can be realized on the ground.

The US does acknowledge that India cautiously avoids a committed behavior with an agreed strategic partnership given India's ambiguity over US policies with respect to Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and China. India is understood to be preserving its strategic autonomy and securing its international position in the long term by remaining flexible amid changing geopolitical scenarios. The US is also sensitive to India's strategic equations with regional powers in Asia. India is unlikely to disrupt its geopolitical calculation in Asia to fit the objectives of India-US strategic partnership.

For the US, India is a critical player in restructuring the balance of power in Asia. Asian economies are now key drivers of the world economy and have increased their military profile by altering the geopolitical landscape. For the US, a regional hegemon opposed to the international world order is not in its national interest and therefore it is likely to intervene in Asian power politics in such a way that no single nation acquires the wherewithal to dominate the regional power structure.

The fundamental tension or contradiction in the India-US strategic partnership is that the US perceives India as a potential component of its balance of power in Asia and India requires the US to play a proactive role in realizing its economic potential by way of investment in capital, manufacturing, education, skill development and technology transfer.

How much the US and India meet each other's strategic requirements and make necessary compromises will decide the future course of this relationship in years to come.

For example, India, in order to increase US participation in its economic growth, may have to open its economy further and adapt many of its trade regimes such as export-import tariffs and patent laws.

The US, on the other hand, has to be clear on its long term strategic posturing with countries such as Iran, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, for India to commit to a consistent behavior in line with the agreed strategic partnership.

The author is a PhD candidate at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, Shanghai. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn