Modi’s US Foreign Policy: Strategic Autonomy Redefined

Abstract

Since Narendra Modi came to power, there has been an upswing in the strategic ties between India and the United States. Historically, non-alignment and, later, strategic autonomy in India’s foreign policy discourse have been defined in opposition to the United States. India’s foreign policy has been held back from pursuing greater strategic alignment with the United States due to its anti-American prejudice. The paper contends that, Modi has redefined the ideological framework of strategic autonomy from non-alignment to issue-based alignment, which also entails cooperating closely with the United States pertaining to the strategic threats it confronts from China in the wider Indo-Pacific region. The paper argues that Modi believes pursuing closer strategic alignment with the United States enhances India’s “strategic autonomy,” vis-à-vis the strategic threats that it confronts. Modi has also abandoned the practice of taking ideological stands and instead redefined strategic autonomy in terms of pursuing India’s national interests. The major finding of the paper is that Modi has redefined the strategic autonomy on purely realistic grounds and has strengthened the strategic ties with the United States.

India–US Strategic Cooperation through the LEMOA Lens

“…Many believed that if India ratified the agreements, it would be seen as New Delhi abandoning its long-standing 'non-aligned' past and forging a formal 'alliance' with Washington. Contrary to these presumptions, however, the signing of this agreement has enhanced India's strategic autonomy, which is better defined as the 'enlargement of India's strategic choices in the pursuit of its national interests and the strengthening of Indian defense forces operational capabilities' (Khushid, 2023). Strategic autonomy is a flexible construct and is purely based on the pursuit of a country's national interests; it involves taking a realistic assessment of the current international security environment and pursuing your interests in accordance with it (usansfoundation, 2021).…”

“…Strategic autonomy is a flexible construct and is purely based on the pursuit of a country's national interests; it involves taking a realistic assessment of the current international security environment and pursuing your interests in accordance with it (usansfoundation, 2021). These foundational defence agreements strengthen the defence forces' operational and strategic capabilities, thus enhancing India's strategic autonomy (Khushid, 2023).…”

“…The logistics of our chopper and engineer detachments would have been much simplified if LEMOA had been in place when New Delhi sent relief detachments to Nepal to collaborate with the US military in the wake of the 2015 tragedies (Shukla, 2016). Additionally, LEMOA helps with the quick evacuation of patients during maritime medical crises (Khushid, 2023).…”