As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence on July 4, 2026, one of the most remarkable stories of its modern history is the transformation of its relationship with India. Once divided by Cold War politics, nuclear sanctions and deep strategic mistrust, New Delhi and Washington have evolved into close partners in defence, technology, trade and the Indo-Pacific. The contrast is striking. In 1971, during the India-Pakistan war, President Richard Nixon sent a US naval task force into the Bay of Bengal in a move widely seen as backing Pakistan. More than five decades later, India and the United States are negotiating one of their most ambitious bilateral trade agreements, highlighting how dramatically ties between the world’s two largest democracies have changed. Early diplomacy and the era of non-alignment Soon after India gained independence, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the United States in October 1949 and met President Harry S. Truman. The visit came before India formally emerged as one of the principal architects of the Non-Aligned Movement, which sought to avoid …