Abu Dhabi, UAE: Former U.S. Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, has said that India and the United States are moving toward a much “narrower,” and more “focused,” relationship, which will place significant burdens on all communities.
Speaking at a panel discussion titled “The Global View of India,” during the plenary session at the Indiaspora Forum for Good (IFG) 2025 Summit in Abu Dhabi on February 25, 2025, Verma – who also served as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources in the Biden administration – emphasized, “I think we’re in a different era.”
The session featured notable panelists, including Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Foreign Secretary of India and Ambassador to the US; Lord Karan Bilimoria, member of the UK House of Lords; and Gopal Srinivasan, chairman and Managing Director of TVS. The discussion was moderated by Mina Al Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief of The National, UAE.
Verma suggested that the past 25 years of robust engagement have “come to an end,” though he clarified that this does not mean the two nations are in a “negative place.” He pointed to the recent India-US joint statement issued on February 13th during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington DC.
A Shift in India-U.S. Relations
For the first time, the joint statement between President Donald Trump and PM Modi talks about “shared interests,” rather than “shared values,” Verma noted. He highlighted the absence of references to collaboration, health, sustainable development, climate, clean energy, solar, wind, battery, signaling a more streamlined focus on “trade and security” – two of the four pillars first outlined by President Bill Clinton.
Reflecting on the four areas of cooperation laid out by President Clinton including defense, trade, sustainable development, and energy, he said “I would say for the last 25 years, we have made incredible progress in those areas.”
Verma also criticized the Trump administration’s decision to shut down USAID in India after 60 years, despite $17 billion in economic assistance and over 555 projects across health, agriculture, clean water, and sanitation. “These were not charity projects but joint research and development initiatives,” he emphasized pointing out this will end health initiatives on tuberculosis, and malaria.
Progress and Challenges in Bilateral Ties
Reflecting on the past 25 years of Indo-U.S. cooperation, Verma noted substantial growth in these areas: defense trade surged from $0 in 2000 to $24 billion in 2023; bilateral trade expanded from $20 billion in 2000 to $200 billion today; India is now the top military exercise partner of the U.S.; Indian visitors to the U.S. have grown from a few hundred thousand to over a million annually; and 300,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in U.S. universities.
Despite these advancements, Verma acknowledged challenges in immigration policies, recalling his father’s journey to the U.S. in 1963 with just $14 and a bus ticket. “His risk paid off, and 50 years later, his son returned to India as the US Ambassador. That’s like winning the lottery 50 times over,” Verma reflected. However, he warned that new immigrants will face a vastly different reality under the new administration.
India’s Role on the Global Stage
Echoing Verma’s concerns, Harsh Shringla noted, “Some unforeseen eventuality exists. And I think the advent of Donald Trump in the global scene has exacerbated these risks.” He argued that Trump has “upended,” the traditional view of “global diplomacy,” from Ukraine to Russia and the Middle East.
However, Shringla emphasized initiatives like I2U2 and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which were reaffirmed in the recent India-US joint statement as “game changers” for the region, with the diaspora playing a crucial role.
He also highlighted India’s “human-centric globalization,” leadership approach, initiated by PM Modi during a special G20 session in 2020. At the session, PM Modi told the gathering it was first time the G20 was convening on something that was not financial or economic, but humanitarian in nature.
He also recalled how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, India not only developed its own vaccines but also provided medical aid and food supplies to other nations, including Kuwait and the UAE. From that point onwards, India moved towards a policy of “Vishwamitra – friend of the world.”
Shringla stressed that under PM Modi’s leadership, India has shifted from a “reactive” foreign policy to a “proactive leadership,” oriented policy. He referenced PM Modi’s diplomatic visits to Russia and Ukraine, where he engaged with President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in pursuit of peace efforts.
Other panel discussions over the last two days were on topics such as; Tech for the Public Good; New Pathways for India; Al Dominance: David vs. Goliath; A Diaspora that is Healthy, Wealthy and Wise; Solar Panels in the Sky; New Models for Global Impact; Extreme Innovation from India; Seva Comes in Many Forms; Inclusive Change for the 21st Century; AI Eats the World; The Bionic Indian: When Tech & Medicine Converge; Indiaspora NEXT: Emerging Leaders; Sanskrit – Language of Antiquity, Language for the Digital Age; Big Big Checks: Private Equity in India.
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