India's Balanced Approach to U.S. Relations Amid Trump's Second Term Challenges

India maintains its strategic partnership with the United States despite growing tensions under President Donald Trump’s second term, according to foreign policy analysts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has pursued a strategy of diversifying India’s alliances while preserving core cooperation with Washington, even as Trump’s policies strained bilateral ties. New Delhi continues trade talks, defense collaboration, and technological exchanges with the U.S., while expanding engagement with American allies and maintaining relations with Russia—a balancing act experts describe as an “America plus” approach.

Trump’s second term has tested the U.S.-India relationship through tariffs, shifting diplomatic priorities, and closer ties with Pakistan and China—both rivals of India. Despite these challenges, Modi has avoided a full reorientation of Indian foreign policy, recognizing the U.S. as India’s most important partner. Analysts note that while Washington remains critical for trade and technology, its unpredictability has pushed New Delhi to strengthen ties with other powers, including U.S. allies like Japan and Australia through the Quad security grouping.

Relations between Trump and Modi were initially warm, marked by high-profile joint appearances and expanded defense cooperation. However, disputes over Pakistan mediation, China engagement, and trade policies have since eroded trust. Trump’s intervention in the India-Pakistan conflict was dismissed by New Delhi, while his outreach to Pakistan’s army chief and support for a Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey security pact raised concerns in India. Trade tensions escalated after the U.S. imposed tariffs on Indian goods, a move critics argue unfairly targeted New Delhi despite exemptions granted to other countries.

Domestic pressure in India has grown, with opposition figures accusing Modi of yielding to U.S. demands. Farmers’ groups have protested a potential trade deal, framing it as a concession to American agricultural exports. Some political factions advocate closer ties with China or Russia as alternatives. Yet Modi has persisted in deepening defense and strategic cooperation with the U.S., finalizing a new ten-year defense framework and working to sustain the Quad even without a U.S. summit. In August 2025, the U.S. ambassador in New Delhi acknowledged Kashmir as part of India, signaling efforts to address Indian sensitivities.

Experts attribute Modi’s restraint to the long-standing skepticism of the U.S. within India’s bureaucracy and political class, rooted in Cold War-era alliances with Pakistan and Washington’s engagement with China. The 2005 U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement marked a turning point, despite domestic opposition. Modi’s leadership has since accelerated strategic alignment, overcoming bureaucratic resistance to forge stronger ties with Washington, even as Trump’s second term tests this partnership.

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