A Nuclear Accord, 15 Years Ago

Context:  US-India agreement of 2005 to cooperate in civil nuclear power, holds significance in shaping the Indo-US strategic bilateral ties.

An analysis of Indo-US Relationship since 2005 Nuclear Agreement

• Areas of Cooperation between India-US:

• Nuclear Agreement: The Nuclear Agreement of 2005 implicitly acknowledged India’s status as a nuclear weapons power.

• Opening up of new areas cooperation: The nuclear agreement paved the way for cooperation in 

• Technology transfer and space cooperation have benefitted.
• Military-to-military ties and defence procurement have boomed.
• Intelligence cooperation - demonstrated its merit after the Mumbai terrorist attack in 2008.

• US’s support for India as a permanent member of the UNSC: in 2010 and 2020; US President has recently repeated the same pledge.

• Role of China in India-US relations:

• Rising China was part of the US administration’s rationale: in 2005 for building a stronger relationship with India.
• China’s increasing global power and territorial ambitions in both the Himalayas and the South China Sea have worsened its relations with both India and the US.
• India seems less hesitant about a partnership explicitly aimed at containing China. In addition to new arms sales, there is a renewed commitment to the “Quad”.

• Factors negatively impacting US-India relationship 
• Not Much Intended Cooperation:

• No great contract in civilian nuclear energy with the US.
• Russia and France are the major nuclear suppliers in India.

• India’s weak-commitment towards transition: 

• India’s solar/renewable energy sectors attract more attention and investment than nuclear.

Conclusion: Indo-US relationship has grown strategically and dramatically over the last fifteen years; that is in large part a dividend of the Indo-US nuclear accord 2005.