Comprehending the Restructuring of South Asian Power Politics through the Prism of US-India Defense and Economic Cooperation during Second Term of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India (2019-2024)

Abstract

Even a cursory glance at the modern day political arena along with the contemporary international relations reveals that the global economic and military powers neither believe in keeping permanent friends nor foes and are switching to one-another depending upon the very quickly changing global political dynamics. The ever- strengthening India-United States (US) economic and strategic cooperation developed particularly during the premier-ship of Mr. Narendra Modi serve a vital example in that regard since India, earlier, had remained a close ally of Russia but with the rise of Chinese economic expansionism in the 21st century and under the threat of a sustained Chinese economic supremacy both the US and India have been entered into a marriage of convenience. Moreover, Mr. Modi's foreign policy strategy predominated by initiatives like "Act East" and "Neighborhood First," created new possibilities for collaboration with the United States and as a consequence, the geopolitical dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region, which is connected to the biggest economies in the world including US, China, India and Japan, have been profoundly impacted. In that backdrop, the instant study, while qualitatively analyzing the relevant literature comprising official documents, policy decisions and debates pertaining to economic development and defense cooperation between US and India during Narendra Modi’s term as the Prime Minister of India, investigates how U.S.-India relations have changed and expanded over this time period. It finds that massive investments have been made by both countries in various geopolitically and geo-strategically important fields and if this cooperation continued for a longer period of time than it will definitely turn the tables in Indian favor while determining the regional geopolitical and geostrategic dominance