{
"authors": [],
"type": "other",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "SAP",
"programs": [
"South Asia"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"South Asia",
"India"
],
"topics": [
"Foreign Policy",
"Nuclear Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
President Bush, on his first visit to India, sealed the U.S.-India Nuclear Deal. Carnegie Senior Associate Ashley J. Tellis has been widely recognized as one of the core individuals who made this deal possible. Tellis was drafted in advance of President Bush's visit to India to serve as a senior advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, R. Nicholas Burns. In this position, Tellis provided support of various State Department activities relating to U.S.-Indian relations and brought his unique understanding of the establishments in New Delhi and Washington to finalize the deal.
In an interview with rediff-India Abroad R. Nicholas Burns said,
"Ashley has worked for the United States government at several junctures -- at the White House staff as well as in New Delhi -- and he knows more about India's nuclear program than any other living American. [And so, I wanted to...] I have great respect for him, for his creativity and ingenuity and also for his knowledge and technical expertise, and I felt that he would be a great addition to our staff and our delegation, and he was. He was instrumental in getting a decision."
Click below to read more about Tellis' role in the historic U.S.-India Nuclear Deal:
People Behind the Deal (Times of India, March 3, 2006)
Those Who Made the Deal Happen (Indian Express, March 4, 2006)
Click on the right to access article
All the PM's Men (Hindustan Times, March 5, 2006)
Click on the right to access article
Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
India and the United States are close to concluding a Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement (RDPA) that will allow firms from the two countries to sell to each other’s defense establishments more easily. While this may not remedy the specific grievances both sides may have regarding larger bilateral issues, an RDPA could restore some momentum, following the trade deal announcement.
Konark Bhandari
On the last day of the India AI Impact Summit, India signed Pax Silica, a U.S.-led declaration seemingly focused on semiconductors. While India’s accession to the same was not entirely unforeseen, becoming a signatory nation this quickly was not on the cards either.
Konark Bhandari
On January 12, 2026, India's "workhorse," the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, experienced a consecutive mission failure for the first time in its history. This commentary explores the implications of this incident on India’s space sector and how India can effectively address issues stemming from the incident.
Tejas Bharadwaj
Connecting real-world AI use cases across sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and livelihoods can help policymakers, innovators, and institutions align around a shared goal. This article looks at a framework ensuring that AI works for everyone.
Shalini Kapoor, Tanvi Lall
This piece examines India’s response to U.S. sanctions and tariffs, specifically assessing the immediate market consequences, such as alterations in import costs, and the broader strategic implications for India’s energy security and foreign policy orientation.
Vrinda Sahai