The International Strategic and Security Studies Programme of the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bangalore organised a two day National Workshop on “Changing Contours of Indo-US Relations” during 9-10 February 2006. The objectives of the Workshop were to exchange views and generate opinion on a wide spectrum of issues relating to Indo-US relations.
The major focus of the Workshop was to critically assess the paradigm shift in perceptions reshaping Indo-US relations. The purpose was to get different perspectives on the commonalities and differences that would govern Indo-US relations in the near and distant future. The visit of the US President George W. Bush to India and the possibility of an accord between the US and India on civilian nuclear cooperation provided the backdrop to the organization of the workshop.
The themes for the debate in the workshop included:
- Perceptions and misperceptions in Indo-US relations
- Indo-US economic relations: emerging dynamics
- Changing security environment and implications for Indo-US cooperation in defence
- Prospects for Indo-US cooperation in high technology
- US and Indian legal systems and their implications for Indo-US relations
This document is a detailed report of the workshop. At the end of each session a summary of the main highlights of the session is provided. This is followed by a discussion on how the different strands of thinking addressed in each of the sessions intertwine to provide an overall understanding of the critical drivers of the relationship between the US and India. We conclude with a brief section on the implications of this understanding for policy making.