The Sunday Guardian
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January 25, 2026
Future Presidents of the United States may continue to adopt Trump’s policies and strategies, either to the same degree or more, not less.
I’s US policy towards India under the Trump 2.0 Administration in a transitory phase in the evolution of India-US strategic partnership? Is President Trump’stariff policy selectively targeting India with highesttariffrateon Indian exports to the USjusta hard bargaining tool? Does the ‘Trump White House’sembrace of the Pakistani Government and, more particularly the most powerful Field Marshal of the Pakistani Army signal areduction of India’s place in America’s South Asia policy? Does the ability of China to arm-twist the Trump Administration by weaponizing rare earth and critical minerals to reduce the highest ever announcement of tariff rate on any country—145% to 45%, set the limits on Trump’s Quad strategy in the India-Pacific? Is Trump’s lenient approach to deal with Putin combined with punitive tariffs on Indiaa message that India-US strategic partnership no longer remains the same?
These are the issues that indicate that the upward trajectory of India-US strategic partnership seems tobe atleast temporarily halted. India does not occupy a priority of place in President Trump’s foreign policy strategy. The belief in the strategic circles in India that the Trump 2.0 Administration would be better for India, oratleast less problematic, has proven tobe mistaken. The conviction in the foreign policy community that the personal rapport between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would alleviate the strategic collaborations between India and the United States too has turned out to be specious.
This story is from the January 25, 2026 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
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