With India slated to pass Germany and Japan to become the world’s third largest economy by the end of this decade, getting India right has become a critical task for American policy makers.
But a week of talks with political, religious and business leaders aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has reminded me how difficult this relationship can be. The U.S. and India are both democracies. They are both eager to offset Chinese power in Asia without war. But the differences between the two societies are profound. It will take skill, patience and understanding to make the relationship work.