India in the US grand strategy for the twenty-first century

The nature of India–US relations has been a peculiar one. During the Cold War, America’s policy of containment, in contrast to India’s policy of non-alignment, led the two countries towards divergent paths, with little scope for cooperation. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union followed by India’s new economic policy, among other drivers, led to the evolving strategic engagement between them. In recent times, the rise of China has shaped the nature of ties between them. The chapter presents the bilateral and multilateral approaches to diplomacy as adopted by India and the United States and analyses Indo-US relations in light of the US grand strategy for the twenty-first century.