• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [],
  "type": "pressRelease",
  "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": []
}
REQUIRED IMAGE

REQUIRED IMAGE

Press Release

Obama has historic opportunity to strengthen U.S.–India ties

President Obama departs for India in November on his first presidential visit to the world’s largest democracy.

Link Copied
Published on Oct 28, 2010
Program mobile hero image

Program

South Asia

The South Asia Program informs policy debates relating to the region’s security, economy, and political development. From strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific to India’s internal dynamics and U.S. engagement with the region, the program offers in-depth, rigorous research and analysis on South Asia’s most critical challenges.

Learn More

WASHINGTON, October 28—President Obama departs for India next week on his first presidential visit to the world’s largest democracy. In a new paper, Ashley J. Tellis writes that Obama has a unique opportunity to cement a global partnership with a rapidly emerging power—and India has the potential to be America’s most important strategic partner. A strong bilateral relationship with New Delhi will help Washington manage China’s rise, promote democracy globally, and protect broader American interests.

Key Recommendations for the United States:

  • Pay greater attention to India. While Obama has understandably focused on competing priorities—including the troubled U.S. economy and ongoing wars abroad—Washington must devote more resources to its relations with New Delhi. India plays a critical role in Afghanistan, international economic recovery, and preserving a stable Asian order—all priority issues for the United States.
  • Reaffirm U.S. support. The White House should endorse India’s quest for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. This bold move would reassure Indians of America’s dedication to the relationship.
  • Integrate India into the global nonproliferation regime. The civil nuclear agreement between the United States and India was the first step in bringing India out of its nuclear isolation. Washington should broaden its efforts to involve everything from aiding the expansion of nuclear power in India to improving collaboration on nuclear security.

"By reaffirming the U.S. commitment to aid India’s growth in power and emphasizing America’s fellowship with India, Obama can help bring the two countries together on shared interests and move their relationship forward significantly," Tellis writes.

###

NOTES

Click here to read the full paper

Ashley J. Tellis is a senior associate in the Carnegie South Asia Program. He specializes in international security, defense, and Asian strategic issues and was intimately involved in the negotiations associated with the U.S.–India civil nuclear agreement. Previously, he was a senior adviser to the U.S. ambassador to India and was a special assistant to the president and senior director for strategic planning and Southwest Asia in the National Security Council.

The Carnegie South Asia Program informs policy debates relating to the region's security, economy, and political development. From the war in Afghanistan to Pakistan's internal dynamics to U.S. engagement with India, the Program's renowned team of experts offer in-depth analysis derived from their unique access to the people and places defining South Asia's most critical challenges.

Press Contact: Kendra Galante, 202-939-2233, pressoffice@ceip.org

South AsiaIndia

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.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Paper
    Threading the Needle: India’s Path Forward with China

    After the chill in ties between 2020 and 2024 that brought India–China relations to their lowest point in several decades, the two countries have engaged each other afresh. This paper argues that there are predominantly four imperatives guiding India’s approach to China, and they exist in an order of priority.

      Saheb Singh Chadha

  • Abstract of AI
    Article
    Early Lessons in the Pursuit of Sovereign AI

    As the experiences of India and the UAE suggest, attaining complete sovereignty is unrealistic for most nations. But that doesn’t mean they must depend on the United States or China.

      Shreya Joshi

  • Article
    Managing Divergence: India’s BRICS Presidency in 2026

    This piece argues that India’s central challenge is not managing a single flashpoint but resolving the underlying tension between expansion and institutional coherency of the BRICS grouping.

      Vrinda Sahai

  • Pedestrians passing through mist
    Commentary
    Emissary
    India’s Heatwave Is a Warning for the Future

    As “unprecedented” temperatures become routine, the country is failing its energy transition stress test.

      • Kayly Ober

      Kayly Ober

  • Commentary
    India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem Is Maturing—and ASML Is Taking Notice

    The ASML MoU with Tata Electronics is an indicator of how far the Indian semiconductor ecosystem has come. This ecosystem has been years in the making and represents real commercial logic.

      Konark Bhandari

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.