Oct 23, 2026 15:00 pm IST

Opinion | Why The US Won't Stop Penalising India - Even If It Needs Delhi's Help

Marco Rubio's dash to Jamnagar was driven by Trump's hope that India could do something about the shortage of diesel that the world is experiencing and thereby help his mid-term performance. But why the punishing policies then?

Ashok Sajjanhar Ashok Sajjanhar Columnist

Ashok Sajjanhar Columnist

The year 2026 has emerged as a defining litmus test for the strategic partnership between the United States and India. Characterised by an intricate dance of macroeconomic friction, anti-Indian commentary, and deep-rooted defense collaboration, the bilateral relationship is navigating a cycle of real structural turbulence. No single series of events captures this paradox better than the high-stakes diplomatic itineraries of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following a critical repair mission in May 2026 to stabilise relations jolted by trade tariffs, Rubio's tour in October 2026 to the financial, industrial, technology, and energy hubs of Mumbai and Jamnagar underscores a relationship shifting away from an all-encompassing strategic partnership towards hyper-pragmatic, transactional diplomacy.

To appreciate the current state of India-US ties, one must look back to the spring of 2026. The bilateral relationship entered the year under severe stress. The second Trump administration had introduced a series of aggressive economic manoeuvres, including the imposition of a 50% import tariff on certain Indian goods in August, 2025. Compounding these economic shocks were geopolitical grievances: Washington had renewed diplomatic engagement with Pakistan - which New Delhi viewed as insensitive to its counterterrorism challenges - and public praise from the White House for Pakistan's military leadership had caused a severe trust deficit.

From the Repair Mission of May, '26 when Rubio worked aggressively to reassure India of its status as a vital strategic partner, extended an invitation to PM Modi on behalf of President Trump to visit the White House, sought to address the 50% penalty import tariffs and trust deficit, pushed the ''Mission 500'' to increase bilateral trade to USD500 billion by 2030, and reaffirmed Quad cooperation in New Delhi, Rubio's objectives in October, 2026 represented a transactional shift which coincided with a pause in the Sanctions of Russia and Iran Act seemingly triggered by broader U.S. conflicts with Iran and Russia.

The October visit has been defined by hard, transactional realism. In a move that........

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