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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that India’s concerns over cross-border terrorism and differences on trade are among the issues creating friction in relations with the United States. Speaking at an Asia Society event in New York, Jaishankar said that when a partner does not sufficiently understand or appreciate an issue that is central to India’s security, it inevitably affects the bilateral relationship.
His remarks came during a discussion on the challenges facing India-US ties amid changing global geopolitics, Washington’s engagement with Pakistan and ongoing trade negotiations between New Delhi and Washington. Jaishankar, however, also said that India wants the relationship with the US to continue moving in an upward direction.
‘Lack of empathy’ on terrorism a concern for India
Jaishankar identified terrorism as a particularly important security issue for India. Referring to terrorism originating from a neighbouring country, he said India has faced the problem for many decades as part of what he described as a deliberate policy.
He said that if an issue matters deeply to one partner but does not receive adequate “understanding or appreciation or empathy” from the other, it can create problems in the relationship. According to Jaishankar, India’s primary security concerns need to be understood by its strategic partners.
He further explained that if one of India’s primary concerns is not fully appreciated by a partner, there would naturally be an impact on the broader relationship. His remarks were made in the context of India’s long-standing concerns about cross-border terrorism and US engagement with Pakistan.
US-Pakistan engagement in the backdrop
Jaishankar’s comments come at a time when Washington has increased engagement with Islamabad. The issue has particular significance for New Delhi because India has consistently raised concerns over terrorism originating from Pakistan.
The External Affairs Minister did not name Pakistan in every part of his response, instead referring to terrorism from a neighbouring country. His comments nevertheless came amid discussion about the changing US-Pakistan relationship and how Washington’s foreign-policy choices are viewed in New Delhi.
The remarks underline a broader Indian position that strategic partnerships cannot be assessed only through economic or defence cooperation. For New Delhi, security concerns and the way partners respond to terrorism are also important elements of the relationship.
Trade differences add another layer
Alongside security concerns, Jaishankar also spoke about the changing nature of global trade. He described the US approach as a new trading template based increasingly on one-to-one negotiations.
According to reports from his Asia Society interaction, Jaishankar said the US had established a “one to one” trade-deal model involving renegotiation of existing arrangements. This comes as India and the US continue to work through differences involving tariffs, market access and other economic issues.
Jaishankar acknowledged that trade has become another complicated element in the bilateral relationship. At the same time, he indicated that progress on trade could help put ties on a better trajectory.
Jaishankar: India wants ties on an upward trajectory
Despite highlighting the differences, Jaishankar did not characterize the relationship as fundamentally adversarial. Instead, he stressed that India wants India-US ties to continue moving forward.
He said India has to be realistic about the issues confronting the relationship and that progress on some of these challenges could contribute to better ties. This suggests that New Delhi is looking at the current differences as issues that need to be managed through dialogue and negotiations rather than as a reason to abandon the broader strategic partnership.
The comments also reflect the increasingly complex international environment in which India is managing relationships with multiple major powers. Trade, security, energy and geopolitical partnerships are increasingly interconnected, making bilateral ties dependent on developments well beyond a single issue.
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India-US ties facing multiple tests
India and the US have significantly expanded cooperation in areas including defence, technology, trade and the Indo-Pacific. However, recent differences over trade and Washington’s engagement with Pakistan have added complications to the relationship.
Jaishankar’s latest remarks therefore highlight two separate but interconnected Indian concerns: the expectation that Washington should better understand New Delhi’s security priorities, and the need to address economic differences through negotiations.
For India, the immediate challenge will be to keep cooperation expanding while managing disagreements over terrorism, trade and wider geopolitical issues. Jaishankar’s comments indicate that New Delhi remains committed to the relationship but also expects greater sensitivity to its core security interests and a workable approach to outstanding economic differences.
