India, Feb. 8 -- The framework for an Interim Agreement and the accompanying Executive Order signed by U.S. President Donald J. Trump collectively signal a fundamental reconstruction of the relationship between the United States and India. The shift moves the partnership away from traditional diplomacy toward a high-stakes, reciprocal trade alliance that prioritises economic security and geopolitical alignment.

This new architecture rests on a central trade-off: The United States is removing punitive "national security" barriers and offering preferential market access in exchange for India's large-scale capital commitments and its formal exit from Russian energy markets.

The immediate catalyst for this shift is the Executive Order resci...