Experts say next American president will have to work closely with India, there's no choice

Experts predict India-U.S. relations to remain positive, with differences in approach between Trump and Harris administrations.

The overall positive momentum in India-U.S. ties will remain unchanged though there could be a difference in approach towards New Delhi between a Trump administration and a Harris government, foreign policy experts said as Americans vote to elect a new President on Tuesday (November 5, 2024).

Democratic leader Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump are locked in a fierce race to occupy the White House as the 47th President of the U.S.

Dhruva Jaishankar, the executive director of the America chapter of the Observer Research Foundation, said the direction of the relationship is expected to be different in areas of trade, energy and immigration.

"For Trump, I think there will be some difficult negotiations over trade and immigration, although on many other issues, he has spoken about a very positive relationship with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

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"On the other hand, with Harris, there will be some continuity as what we have seen under the Biden administration in the past four years. But I think there will be more of a progressive agenda and foreign policy, and that may have some implications for the relationship with India," he said.

Mr. Jaishankar said India-U.S. cooperation in the energy sector would be "big" going forward but explained how there could be a difference in approach by a Harris administration or a Trump dispensation.