For weeks, the world’s two largest democracies were not speaking to each other. Washington and New Delhi – once seen as partners at the forefront of a democratic technology alliance – slipped into silence, suspicion, and near estrangement. Now, the phones are ringing again. Leaders in both capitals are picking up the line, signaling that they are not ready to allow the US-India partnership to collapse entirely. But resuming calls is not the same as rebuilding confidence.

At the heart of this crisis is the collapse of TRUST – the Technology and Research United States – India Strategic Trade initiative. Once heralded as the crown jewel of bilateral ties, TRUST has withered at precisely the moment it was most needed. Both countries know that the stakes extend far beyond diplomacy. Without renewed cooperation, the democratic world risks ceding the technological future – semiconductors, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing, and space exploration – to authoritarian rivals, most notably China.

The question now is simple but urgent: Can Washington and New Delhi rebuild the TRUST they once promised each other, or will inertia and suspicion push them further apart, handing Beijing a decisive strategic advantage?

The current moment is all the more painful because of the sharp contrast with recent history. Barely seven months ago, US-India ties appeared to be entering a golden age. Washington celebrated India as a natural ally in the Indo-Pacific, a counterweight to China, and a partner in securing global technology supply........

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