For India, Donald Trump's return to White House isn't just an acceptable but a desired outcome of US presidential elections, given Trump 1.0's perceived strategic convergence of interests with India and his close rapport with Narendra Modi.
Unsurprisingly, the PM was among the first heads of states to congratulate "my friend" Trump, shortly after the latter's victory speech in Florida. Modi's post on X was embellished with photos from his engagement with the US President-elect in the past, including during his visit to India in 2020.
According to former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla who served as ambassador to US during Trump 1.0, his comeback is good news for India and inspires confidence that he will start from where he left off at the end of his first term. "Modi govt has worked closely with Trump in the past and he also has a good relationship with Modi," Shringla said, adding Trump's pledge to bring peace in Gaza and Ukraine also aligns with Modi's "this is not an era of war" stand.
Under Trump and Modi, the two nations had common stance on several issues During the Trump and Modi administrations, the United States and India found common ground on several important matters. Both countries prioritized counterterrorism efforts and expressed concerns about China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
It was then that Quad was upgraded to the ministerial level, and foundational military agreements between India and US, notably Beca and Comcasa, were signed.
Significantly, it was during this time that the term 'Indo-Pacific', a euphemism for calling China out over its expansionism, gained geopolitical traction.
Trump's victory also spares Indian officials the trouble of dealing with a relatively unknown entity in Kamala Harris.
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