Former US Ambassador to India from 2015 to 2017 under President Barack Obama, Richard Verma, has said that while the India-US relationship has grown strongly over the last two decades, recent issues such as trade disputes, visa restrictions and rising anti-Indian sentiment are creating fresh pressure on the partnership.
Speaking at the Capitol Hill Summit 2026 organised by the US-India Friendship Council, Verma said the relationship remains “one of the most consequential” in the world but is entering a more uncertain phase.
“I’d say the system is flashing a bit yellow,” he said, referring to warning signs in the relationship, as reported by IANS.
A partnership that grew rapidly since 2000
Verma said no other bilateral relationship has expanded as quickly as US-India ties since the year 2000.
“It would be hard for me to think of another bilateral relationship between 2000 and 2025 that has grown as much and as deep as the US and India,” he said, as reported the news agency.
He traced the transformation of ties, noting earlier low points in the 1970s and after India’s 1998 nuclear tests. According to him, relations improved significantly after then-US President Bill Clinton’s visit to India in 2000.
“It was President Clinton who said, ‘I want a different relationship with India,’” Verma recalled, as per IANS.
Four key pillars of cooperation
Verma said the partnership has been built on four major pillars:
- People-to-people ties
- Security and defence cooperation
- Trade and economic relations
- Clean energy collaboration
He highlighted the rapid rise in bilateral trade, which has grown from almost nothing to over USD 200 billion. Defence cooperation has also expanded significantly, with India now conducting more military exercises with the US than any other country.
“We went from not a single defence exercise to now India doing the most defence exercises with the United States,” he said, reported the news agency.
India faces highest tariffs globally
Despite the strong growth, Verma warned that several recent developments are creating friction. These include tighter visa rules for Indian students and rising anti-Indian content online.
He cited a study claiming there were “300 million views of 24,000 posts” containing anti-Indian hate on social media platform X, calling it “a flashing light” for concern.
Verma, the chief legal officer and head of global public policy at Mastercard, also criticised tariff policies affecting India, saying, “India ends up with 50 per cent tariffs, higher than China, higher than any other country in the world.”
Optimism about the future
Even with these challenges, Verma said he remains confident about the long-term direction of the relationship due to strong institutional links and support from the Indian-American community.
“We still care deeply about the relationship,” he said, adding that it remains “the most important and most consequential relationship” for the United States, as per the news agency.
Nuclear deal reminder
Verma also referred to the 2008 US-India civil nuclear agreement, calling it a landmark moment that required rare approval steps in the US Senate because India was not part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“It was the right thing to do,” he said, adding that it showed the importance Washington placed on ties with New Delhi.
(With IANS Inputs)