Over five decades, the relationship between the world's two largest democracies has witnessed periods of ups and downs. However the event of September 11, has introduced new complexities into the Indo-US relations. India, which eagerly supported the American war on terrorism, found the U.S. moving towards a renewed partnership with Pakistan.
The Bush Administration had, indeed worked hard to limit the fallout from the rediscovery of Pakistan on the relationship with India. And after the attack on Parliament on December 13, the U.S. has pressed Pervez Musharraf to end cross-border terrorism against India. U.S. policy towards Indo- Pak relations and the Kashmir question has begun to alter visibly and US in increasingly taking milder view of Pak's misdeeds in Kashmir.
India-U.S. cooperation in defence and security has been one of the 'fastest' sectors in the overall bilateral relationship and one of the significant aspects of this is that US is willing to look at India beyond a South Asia context. A multi-tier structure of defence cooperation has been put in place including training exercises, specific groups on the two sides dealing with technical and technology issues, including transfer of technology. India and the United States have decided to work together in building a missile shield to counter the threat of a missile attack by Pakistan.
India's economic potential is also one of the factors which is guiding U.S. to have close relationship with India.