The Indo-US bilateral relationship is a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, a concept of international relations that defines the political, economic, and security ties between the Republic of India and the United States of America. Diplomatic relations were formally established in 1947 following India's independence. The relationship has evolved from Cold War-era distrust to a strategic convergence, driven by shared democratic values and a commitment to a rules-based international order.
The partnership operates through several high-level institutional mechanisms. The premier recurring dialogue is the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue, launched in 2018, which brings together the Foreign and Defence Ministers of both countries with their U.S. counterparts. This mechanism replaced the earlier Strategic and Commercial Dialogue. Defense cooperation is guided by the New Framework for India-US Defence Cooperation, renewed for ten years in 2015, and the relationship was designated a Major Defence Partnership (MDP) in 2016. Key defense agreements include the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) signed in 2016.
The relationship is closely connected to the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), which includes Japan and Australia, and is central to safeguarding a free and open Indo-Pacific. Technology cooperation is advanced through the Initiative on Critical & Emerging Technology (iCET). Recently, a significant change occurred in trade relations with the announcement of a framework for an Interim Agreement in February 2026, which aims to lead to a broader Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). This interim deal involves India reducing tariffs on U.S. goods, while the U.S. applies a reciprocal tariff rate of 18 percent on Indian goods. Furthermore, the Major Defence Partnership framework was renewed in 2025 for the next 10 years.