He’s the first US President to be here for India’s Republic Day and the first sitting President to visit India twice. Barack Obama’s trip to India promises to usher in a new era of India-US bonhomie.

There were tangible outcomes from the visit, including specific agreements on a civil nuclear development programme for India.

To top it off, India and the US renewed their broad 10-year defence framework, with the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) for cooperation in the manufacture of certain items, including defensive gear for soldiers and unmanned aerial vehicles, being the key new element. 

There was also the issuance of a joint strategic vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean, one of the most significant foreign policy statements by the Modi government thus far. This, combined with the elevation of the strategic partnership with a Declaration of Friendship, further strengthens the ties between the two countries and spells out India’s stance to ally with the US, Japan and Australia to counter China’s growing clout.

And underlining the economic ties that bind them, Obama also announced $4 billion of new initiatives to boost trade and investment ties, as well as jobs in India. This includes $2 billion of financing for renewable energy investments, $1 billion in loans for SMEs across India and another $1 billion in funding from the US Export Import Bank to support ‘Made in America’ exports to India over two years.

The charismatic leader had to cut the trip short to convey his respects to the newly ascended King of Saudi Arabia, but for the short time that he was here, he managed to impress everyone, despite a little controversy over his chewing gum habit.

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