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Trump may accommodate India's defence requirements, given his longstanding animosity towards China's military might

- SANJIB KR BARUAH

AS THE TRUMP 2.0 administration takes shape in Washington, DC, New Delhi is actively strategising to doing business with the new leadership. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who attended President Trump's inauguration on behalf of India, had earlier visited the US in December to brief Indian diplomats on India's approach to engaging with the new administration.

This focus is unsurprising, given the robust ties between the two nations. The United States is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods and services reaching $190 billion. Defence cooperation has grown substantially, with India operating over $20 billion worth of US-origin equipment, including C-130J and C-17 transport aircraft, Apache and Chinook helicopters, MH-60R maritime helicopters and P-8I surveillance aircraft.