Indus-X: An India-US conclave of equals
Summary
- Tuesday’s summit of Indus-X, the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem launched last June, got defence officials from both sides to confer. The idea holds geo-strategic potential, but the question is how close the two want their ties to be.
If the shadow of strained diplomatic ties loomed over Tuesday’s summit of Indus-X, the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem launched last June to expand bilateral relations on defence innovation, it didn’t show. Held in New Delhi, it got defence officials from both sides to confer, though invitees from academia, research, def-tech startups, incubators, etc, also participated.
Ever since US prosecutors alleged that India had got hit jobs done in America, observers have looked for signs of the relationship losing its ardour. A deal for US drones is on the anvil that has suffered fewer hiccups so far than some feared. As Indus-X could incubate a globalized military-industrial complex for an era of digitally advanced warfare, it holds both geopolitical and geo-economic potential. The real question is how tight a strategic embrace the US and India wish to engage in.
For India, Indian autonomy is non-negotiable, while for the US, preservation of its approved world order is an imperative. These are not at odds. And given that power can shift in a democracy, stability in our pursuit of mutual interests is best assured by a bipartisan partnership of equals. We could call it the “Indus -X creed".
