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Podcast Episode

Looking Back at U.S.-India Relations in the Biden Era

Ashley J. Tellis joins Milan Vaishnav for the premiere of Grand Tamasha's 12th season to reflect on the Biden administration's handling of U.S.-India relations and the challenges at hand for the next presidential administration.

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By Milan Vaishnav and Ashley J. Tellis
Published on Sep 12, 2024

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After a short summer break, Grand Tamasha is back with its twelfth season!

As we head into the U.S. presidential elections and bid farewell to the Biden administration, it seems like an opportune time to discuss the last four years of U.S.-India ties under President Biden and to take stock of where we are at this particular moment in history.

To do so, Milan is joined by one of the show’s most popular guests, Ashley J. Tellis. Ashley holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he specializes in international security and U.S. foreign and defense policy. He has a special focus on Asia and the Indian subcontinent and is widely considered one of the world’s most respected voices on Indian foreign policy and U.S.-India relations.

Ashley and Milan talk about the Trump inheritance, the Biden administration’s handling of the explosive “murder-for-hire” plot,” and the unfinished business of the U.S.-India civil nuclear deal.

Plus, the two discuss India’s relations with Russia and China and how the U.S. has managed tensions and opportunities in each.  Finally, the duo debate how the outcome of the U.S. election might shape the trajectory of bilateral ties.

Episode notes:

1. Ashley J. Tellis, “Inevitable Fractures: The Ukraine War and the Global System,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, May 13, 2024.

2. Ashley J. Tellis, “Completing the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement: Fulfilling the Promises of a Summer Long Past,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, November 27, 2023.

3. “Reexamining America’s Bet on India (with Ashley J. Tellis),” Grand Tamasha, June 21, 2023.

4. Ashley J. Tellis, “America’s Bad Bet on India,” Foreign Affairs, May 1, 2023.

5. Ashley J. Tellis, Bibek Debroy, and C. Raja Mohan, Grasping Greatness: Making India a Leading Power (New Delhi: Penguin, 2022).

Hosted by

Milan Vaishnav
Director and Senior Fellow, South Asia Program
Milan Vaishnav

Featuring

Ashley J. Tellis
Former Senior Fellow

Carnegie 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.

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