Assessing the Indo-U.S. Bilateral Ties from Strategic Partnership to Transactional Engagement: Reemergence of the Pakistan Factor (2017–2026)

Abstract

This article explores the evolving trajectory of U.S.-India relations under the Trump and Biden administrations. It aims to assess the structural shift in the U.S.-India relationship from an institutionalized strategic partnership toward an interestdriven, transactional framework. It examines how the “Pakistan factor” has continuously shaped bilateral cooperation and analyzes the key developments that contributed to the re-emergence of Pakistan in the United States’ South Asia policy approach, particularly during Trump’s second term. Additionally, the study investigates how renewed Washington-Islamabad, deal-based engagements have influenced India’s regional strategic calculations. The research answers two core questions: How have U.S.-India relations shifted from an institutional strategic partnership to a more transactional engagement? How have renewed diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Pakistan affected the Washington-New Delhi nexus? Anchored in Neorealism, Offensive Realism, and Defensive Realism, the study examines how an anarchic international system compels states to prioritize national interest and ensure sovereign survival. This research is qualitative and relies on secondary data. The findings suggest that India’s perception of its strategic standing vis-à-vis the U.S. has been profoundly affected by Pakistan’s renewed relevance in regional diplomacy and U.S. strategic calculations.