ABSTRACT
John F. Kennedy, during his presidency and before, was recognized by both Indians and Americans alike as a friend to India, and his election in 1960 marked a shift in the goals of United States (US) foreign policy toward the Third World in general and India in particular. An examination of US foreign policy toward India during the Kennedy administration reveals a pattern of conflicting aims between the president and Congress over political and economic relations with India and their ultimate effect on regional balance of power in South Asia. Kennedy's view of the US role in the Third World was markedly different from that of Dulles. Although history has demonstrated that reform and economic prosperity may in some cases actually exacerbate rather than relieve political tension, the Kennedy administration firmly believed that economic growth and political stability went hand in hand. Kennedy genuinely wanted to break the habit of ideology-influenced aid giving and did achieve a modicum of success.
