Published on, Aug. 29 -- August 29, 2025 1:05 AM

During the Biden administration, India rose from the status of an ordinary bilateral trade partner to the position of a "strategic partner" and "most favored nation" in the eyes of Washington. Biden's White House envisioned India as a counterweight to China's growing influence in Asia and beyond, pumping extraordinary political, economic, and strategic support into New Delhi. India was projected globally as the next manufacturing hub, replacing China, and U.S. high-tech industries were encouraged to set up captive plants across India. These industries were supposed to produce goods cheaply in India and bring them back to the U.S., granting India unprecedented access to American markets and...