US experts ask Trump admn to make early connection with India

Underlining that both India and the US stand to benefit greatly from deeper engagement, a group of three eminent experts from a top American think-tank have called on the incoming Donald Trump administration to establish an early connection with a “rising” India. “Establishing an early connection with a rising, and like-minded, India could be an early win for the Trump administration,” wrote three experts from Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) -- Kathleen H Hicks, D C Richard M Rossow and John Schaus. “It will take regular efforts from senior-level officials across government departments and agencies to bring India and the United States closer together. As Secretary Carter’s trip to India highlights, both countries stand to benefit greatly from deeper engagement,” the op-ed said. The India-US defence relationship, built over multiple administrations in both Washington and Delhi, has started to blossom in the past three years, it said. “As President-elect Donald Trump and his national security team identify key priorities for his administration, continuing to strengthen US-India ties should be near the top of their agenda,” CSIS experts said. The CSIS observed that early outreach by PM Narendra Modi to the US signaled to both Washington and his own bureaucracy that he was serious about engagement.