Natural Allies? U.S.-India Relations in a Time of Trouble

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) held an event on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET, for a timely conversation on the future of U.S.-India relations.

For nearly three decades, the United States and India have cultivated a steadily deepening relationship rooted in shared strategic interests, expanding economic ties, and unprecedented defense cooperation. From breakthrough nuclear agreements to joint military exercises and cutting-edge technological collaboration, both nations have invested years of diplomatic effort to build a foundation of trust that has long served as a stabilizing force in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific. Today, however, recent political actions, strained rhetoric, and mounting frustrations threaten this hard-earned progress, leaving the relationship at one of its most uncertain points in decades.

This panel discussion examined how Washington and New Delhi can navigate this fragile moment—marked by stalled trade talks, mixed geopolitical signals, and renewed regional tensions following the recent terrorist attack near New Delhi’s Red Fort. Despite the current strains, strong defense, technology, business, and people-to-people ties continue to provide a stabilizing safety net, emphasizing the enduring strategic logic of cooperation.

The distinguished panel of experts assessed the risks of long-term erosion, explored opportunities to rebuild trust, and considered what a revitalized U.S.-India partnership must look like to ensure stability across the Indo-Pacific in the years ahead.