Hoping that Barack Obama's landmark November visit to India would cement strategic ties between the two countries, top US experts have said the President should not only focus on bilateral trade relations, but also emphasise on defence cooperation.
"It is my expectations that the President's forthcoming visit will be an extremely successful one. It is going to be successful where both symbols matter and where substance matters," said noted South Asia expert, Ashley Tellis, who was intimately involved in the negotiations on the civil nuclear deal with India during the Bush administration.
"This President, like his predecessors understands clearly the strategic importance of the relationship with India," he said, adding Obama has reached the judgement that for America's own long-term interest in Asia, a "strong and robust partnership" with India is going to be indispensable.
This is going to be very clearly manifested throughout the visit, Tellis asserted.
Michael Krepon, co-founder of Stimson and director of the South Asia and Space Security programmes, said Obama's visit will reaffirm "a strategic partnership that began to flourish during President (Bill) Clinton's second term, which was strengthened during the Bush administration.
"This visit clarifies that, regardless of the President or Prime Minister and the dominant political party in Washington and New Delhi, bilateral relations will remain strong."
Christine Fair from the Georgetown University said that Obama's visit will likely augur a transition from a relationship that has enjoyed "high level nurturing" towards one that is more stable, institutionalised and mature and less demanding of constant attention.
"The absence of sustained high-level governmental engagements does not and should not signal neglect; rather a fundamental transformation of the Indo-US relationship that has become more similar to other important countries that engage or even partner with the United States," Fair said.
She said she does not expect a "new big idea;" rather a consolidation of numerous ongoing initiatives and a deepening of bilateral commitments to those efforts.
With expectations running high in India ahead of Obama's visit, Robert Hathway, Director, Asia Programme of the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars, said it is time to quit looking for "breakthroughs" or "historic turning points" during this visit.
"It's time we quit expecting that each and every meeting between the leaders of the two countries must evoke passion and loud declarations of undying love," he argued.
Teresita Schaffer, Director of South Asia Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said this visit will be an opportunity for Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to deepen their relationship, personally and nationally.
"The reason I believe that the US and India will continue to strengthen their ties is that their interests have come closer together. This is what the visit will give them a chance to explore," she said.
"In addition, of course, they (Obama and Singh) will announce some important economic, security and commercial developments, and President Obama will have a chance to see some of the amazing cultural heritage in India.
"But the real importance of this trip is that it will expand the ability of the US and India to work together beyond the strictly bilateral environment," Schaffer said.
This visit presents an opportunity for the Obama administration to refine and articulate its vision for the US-India relationship, said Lisa Curtis of The Heritage Foundation, adding that India has felt somewhat neglected by the Obama administration because of its heavy emphasis on Afghanistan and Pakistan during its first 18 months in office.
"Indian officials will be looking for clear signals that President Obama values the partnership and is committed to making it stronger and is sensitive to Indian concerns on terrorism," Curtis said, adding the visit could be defining if it demonstrates a new focus on Indian partnership as a key component of the US engagement in the broader Asia region.
"The Administration wants to focus primarily on trade and economic issues, but there should also be emphasis on defence cooperation, which will bring a strategic flavour to the partnership. One of the messages that should come across during this visit is that India has a critical role to play in helping to bring a stable balance of power to Asia," she said.
While his administration has shied away from talking about balance of power politics, Obama should use this visit to make it clear that Washington is ready to take a bold position in Asia by bolstering democratic partners and prioritising maritime cooperation with Asian friends like India, Curtis said.
China's recent assertiveness on its various territorial and maritime claims has made such a policy imperative for US security interests in Asia, she said.
Curtis said there is likely to be movement on the export control issue, demonstrating that the US no longer sees India as a target, but rather as a partner, when it comes to combating global proliferation.
"There was a great deal of concern in India at the beginning of the Obama administration that it would focus on nonproliferation issues that are contentious within India like the CTBT. However, it seems more likely that Obama will take steps that demonstrate US confidence in India as a responsible partner in dealing with global proliferation challenges," she noted.
