Senators John Cornyn (R., Texas) and Mark Warner (D., Va.) spoke at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday about the prospects of U.S.–Indian relations ahead of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s state visit next week. The senators see a common adversary in China as a potential driver for bringing the countries closer together. Warner noted that China has more troops based on the Indian border than Russia has used to invade Ukraine, while Cornyn highlighted the problems many businesses are having as the Chinese Communist Party increases its influence over commerce and reduces transparency. As a result, India is seen as a good alternative for investors.
Cornyn sees more potential for U.S. cooperation with India on defense, as India wants to build its own defense equipment in partnership with the U.S. The senators expressed concerns with some aspects of Indian policy, but they were optimistic about the future and the potential for closer U.S.–Indian relations. Warner said that India’s younger generation sees their country’s interests as more closely aligned with the U.S. than with Russia or China.
India is projected to be the fastest-growing major economy in the next few years and is becoming increasingly important to U.S. commercial and political interests. The decline in the number of Indians in multidimensional poverty is a positive sign, and the Indian government has set the goal of becoming a high-income economy by 2047. However, significant challenges remain, including regulatory issues and low levels of education and labor productivity. Despite this, India leads the world in digital-payments technology and is making its presence felt globally in areas such as film and sports.
