<h3 data-start="2653" data-end="2701">America&rsquo;s Waning Grip on India&rsquo;s Diplomacy</h3>
There was a period when Washington sought to build India as its most dependable partner in Asia. Two decades of closer trade ties, increased defence cooperation, and deeper diplomatic engagements reflected that ambition. Yet, the shifting global order today shows that America&rsquo;s long-held assumption &mdash; that India would remain firmly tethered to the US-led bloc &mdash; is now being challenged.
The weakening of America&rsquo;s relationship with Pakistan in the early 2000s opened a window for New Delhi. Successive US administrations, from Bill Clinton to Barack Obama and Joe Biden, invested heavily in India, particularly as China emerged as Washington&rsquo;s principal adversary. Beijing&rsquo;s aggressive expansion &mdash; establishing military outposts, financing infrastructure in smaller nations, and extending its influence as far as Africa &mdash; was viewed by the US as a direct threat. Washington calculated that India&rsquo;s persistent border tensions with China would make New Delhi dependent on American support.
That calculation has proven misplaced. India has resisted being a subordinate partner. Instead, it has pursued a multi-vector foreign policy, strengthening relations not only with the United States but also with Russia, Japan, Europe, and even maintaining channels with Beijing. India&rsquo;s strategic autonomy remains non-negotiable.
Trump&rsquo;s first term maintained the warmth of Indo&ndash;US ties, even receiving unprecedented gestures from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Yet, Trump&rsquo;s re-election in 2024 has shifted the tone dramatically. His renewed obsession with &ldquo;Make America Great Again&rdquo; and the push to repatriate manufacturing have led to diplomatic frictions with allies and adversaries alike. India, too, now finds itself at the receiving end of this unpredictability.
What many American diplomats recognise &mdash; but Trump&rsquo;s administration ignores &mdash; is that long-term US interests cannot be secured without India. Economically, strategically, and geopolitically, India is central to stability in Asia and beyond. Alienating New Delhi only weakens Washington&rsquo;s influence in the region.
The larger picture, however, is more unsettling for the West. India, Russia, and China increasingly find common ground in reshaping global diplomacy. If consolidated, this Eurasian axis would emerge as the most formidable alliance of the century, rivaling the West-led order. Such a realignment would not only undermine America&rsquo;s global authority but also erode the dominance of the US dollar.
This is the very scenario that unsettles Washington today. America fears losing its monopoly on power, while India asserts its rightful place in a multipolar world. The age when the West dictated terms to Asia is ending. India, with its balanced diplomacy and growing economic weight, is now shaping the future order &mdash; one where America is no longer the unrivalled superpower.

India’s Russia-China tilt signals waning US influence and cracks in the Western-led order

America Losing Grip on India Relations

India’s Russia-China tilt signals waning US influence and cracks in the Western-led order

September 2, 2025 | 11:48 IST