New Delhi, March 24 India plays an indispensable role in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, as well as maintaining a "favorable" balance of power in Asia, a senior official from the Trump administration said on Tuesday. This vision is crucial in the face of significant geopolitical shifts.
In a speech at the Ananta Centre, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Elbridge Colby, outlined a four-point agenda to strengthen India-US strategic engagement, emphasizing that no single power should dominate the Indo-Pacific.
Colby argued that the Indo-Pacific is the central theatre for international politics, economics, and security, and that the interests and long-term prosperity of both India and the US are fundamentally shaped by developments in this region.
Colby stated that the US is committed to working with India on shared interests, despite potential differences or disputes, highlighting the alignment between New Delhi's "Bharat First" approach and the Trump administration's "America First" and "flexible realism" policies.
He said, "Your country sits at the center of the Indian Ocean, which is the key to the Indo-Pacific. India has a long tradition of strategic autonomy and the ability to influence events far beyond its borders."
He added, "India is the world's largest democracy, and its success has significant symbolic and political importance. India also has a strong, independent, and capable military that can handle major security responsibilities."
Colby emphasized that the US sees India not just as a key partner, but as an essential one in ensuring a long-term favorable balance of power in Asia. He stated, "India's role is indispensable for a stable Indo-Pacific."
The senior Pentagon official stated that the US believes India will play a central role in maintaining a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. He added, "This is also beneficial for Americans."
The two-day visit by the US Under Secretary to New Delhi is significant, given the escalating crisis in West Asia and growing concerns about China's increasing military presence in the Indo-Pacific.
He will co-chair a meeting of the Defence Policy Group with India's Defence Secretary RK Singh.
Colby said, "The United States and India don't need to agree on everything to cooperate effectively. What matters is that our interests and objectives increasingly align on fundamental issues."
He added, "Differences and even disputes are compatible with deeper alignment and cooperation on strategic matters. Our partnership is built on a strong foundation of mutual strategic interest."
Colby said, "Both our countries benefit from a region where no single power dominates. Both benefit from open trade and national autonomy."
He argued that these are the concrete, shared interests that form the foundation of their strategic partnership.
Colby explained his second point, stating that both India and the US recognize the strategic importance of military power for a stable region, and thus defence cooperation should focus on enhancing real capabilities rather than being driven by inertia.
He added, "The steady expansion of defence cooperation between the United States and India is a positive development."
Colby cited US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to assert that the defence ties between the two sides have never been stronger, adding that collaboration on defence industrial and technological matters is gaining momentum.
In this context, he also referred to the establishment of the 'Major Defence Partnership' framework that was finalized in October.
Colby said, "Our goals should be practical: to ensure that our forces can operate effectively together when our interests align, and to ensure that India has the capabilities necessary to defend its sovereignty and contribute to a favorable regional balance of power."
Colby said the US is committed to working with India to accelerate and enhance cooperation in areas including long-range precision fires, resilient logistics, maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare, and advanced technologies.
In his third point, the US Under Secretary emphasized the importance of potential co-production and co-development of military hardware. He also listed "regulatory barriers, bureaucratic inertia, and differences in procurement systems" as the real challenges.
He added, "But these challenges can be overcome."
Colby stated that while the US is seeking to expand American military sales to India, it also recognizes New Delhi's ambition to expand its indigenous defence industry.
He said, "A strong domestic industrial base enhances sovereignty and resilience. The United States supports that objective. And India is well on its way."
Colby added, "India already has a strong defence industrial base, and India's leadership in cutting-edge technologies further broadens our defence cooperation."
In his fourth point, Colby noted that the US and India will not agree on every issue, but at the same time argued that any disagreement need not hinder cooperation.
He said, "Strong partnerships benefit from honesty, respect, and strategic clarity. The United States and India will not always agree.
He added, "Indeed, we can say without embarrassment that India and America have not always been partners or even friendly. Our histories and strategic cultures are different, and our interests will of course sometimes diverge."