The article presents a brief overview of India-U.S. relations during the period of Narendra Modi’s
government and Barack Obama’s administration. The author analyzes the dynamics of cooperation development
after the victory of Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2014 Parliamentary elections in India and studies the key directions
of bilateral agenda. The current condition of India-U.S. strategic dialogue and the influence of human rights issues
on the countries’ cooperation are characterized.
Since 2014 the states’ cooperation has been growing rapidly. The bilateral investment, trade and economic
interdependence have significantly increased. Some experts and mass media note that Barack Obama and Narendra
Modi are having friendly relations. From a different angle, a number of agreements between countries still remain
unaccomplished. For instance, the U.S. support for India’s permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council,
its accession to APEC and the implementation of nuclear deal have yet to be turned into achievement.
Together with strengthening the bilateral strategic dialogue, the U.S. has intensified the criticism of India’s
human rights record. The main part of it includes the cases of religious intolerance, which are observed in the
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom reports and the remarks given by U.S. lawmakers
and official representatives, including the Ambassador to India. Washington’s careful attention to the human
rights issues and religious violence in particular is one of the major irritants in the U.S.-India relations.
The engagement of Indian Americans in the local U.S. politics and their lobbying efforts in the context of
U.S.-India relations are revealed. The author outlines the near-terms perspectives of bilateral cooperation