New Delhi [India], March 24 (ANI): Noting that the United States views India not merely as a key partner but as an essential one in ensuring a favorable balance of power in Asia, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby on Tuesday said his country’s assessment of the Indo-American partnership is rooted in practicality and reflects what its national security strategy describes as “Flexible Realism.”
Speaking at a special session in New Delhi, Colby said the U.S. approach to the strategic partnership is interest-based and realistic, shaped by geopolitics and incentives rather than idealism.
“The United States views India with deep respect as a republic of continental scale, as a nation with a proud strategic tradition, and as a country whose decisions will profoundly shape the future of the Indo-Pacific and the international landscape more broadly. Our two countries, of course, differ in history, geography, and perspective in important ways,” he said.
“Yet we share something fundamental—a conviction that the future of Asia should be determined by sovereign nations able to chart their own course. In that vein, today I would like to outline how the United States thinks about our relationship with India in the geopolitical and defense domains,” he added.
Colby said his goal is to present a logical and coherent framework to guide defense cooperation “between our two proud and independent countries amid tectonic strategic changes.” He noted that the world is undergoing one of the most significant shifts in global power in generations and emphasized that both U.S. and Indian interests and long-term prosperity will be shaped by developments in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We are living through one of the most significant shifts in global power in generations. The Indo-Pacific has become the central theater of international politics, economics, and security. Indian, but also American, interests and long-term prosperity will be decisively shaped by developments in this region,” Colby said.
“In addressing these trends, the United States recognizes a basic reality: no single country can sustain a stable balance of power in Asia. The region is too large, too varied, and too important. Stability will instead depend on the collective contributions of capable states that share an interest in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he added.
He described India’s role as indispensable, citing its size, economic potential, geography, and strategic position astride the Indian Ocean, which he called “the connective tissue of the Indo-Pacific.”
Colby also highlighted India’s tradition of strategic autonomy and its growing capacity to shape global events.
“It is the largest republic in the world. Its success carries profound symbolic and political weight and has formidable, self-reliant, and capable military forces willing and able to shoulder significant security responsibilities. The United States sees India not merely as a key partner but as an essential one in ensuring a long-term favorable balance of power in Asia,” he said.
“At the same time, we approach our partnership with realism, clarity, and a fair dose of humility. Our assessment of the Indo-American partnership has its roots in practicality—what our president frequently calls common sense,” he added.
Colby emphasized that the United States recognizes India’s independent strategic interests and priorities.
“The United States wants partnerships with vigorous, self-assured states, not with dependencies. We want key partners that, in resolutely advancing their own interests, will also have the effect of advancing our own. This is a manifestation of what the national security strategy calls Flexible Realism,” he said.
“By aligning our efforts with those states that are willing and able to advance their own interests, we can contribute to achieving both of our goals. Our efforts to cooperate with India are designed not only to collaborate on key issues but also to strengthen your country to promote and sustain a favorable regional balance of power that serves us both,” he added.
Referring to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Colby said India’s approach—“Bharat First” and the “India Way”—aligns closely with the U.S. perspective.
“Like America First and Flexible Realism, Bharat First and the India Way emphasize the centrality of a realistic approach to foreign policy, an unabashed willingness to put one’s own national priorities first, and a results-oriented mindset about international politics,” he said.
Colby noted that Jaishankar has emphasized a pragmatic, national-interest-driven foreign policy rooted in geopolitical realities and balance of power considerations.
“He affirmed the enduring appeal of nationalism and assessed that a nationalistic foreign policy outlook is likely to approach the world with more confidence and greater realism. He also emphasized that creating a stable balance in Asia is India’s foremost priority. From our point of view, exceptionally well said,” Colby remarked.
He added that both countries share a belief that foreign policy grounded in national interests creates a stronger and more sustainable foundation for cooperation and peace.
“Both of us believe that countries must operate with confidence in defending and advancing their own interests, and that this is not only prudent but also right. Both of us believe that a durable and stable balance of power in Asia is a top priority,” he said.
Colby also underscored that the United States does not expect complete alignment with India on all issues.
“We do not expect nor require unerring agreement. Rather, we are flexible, looking for areas of agreement where they count most,” he noted.
He emphasized that the U.S.-India relationship is rooted in strategic mutual interests rather than symbolic gestures.
“The roots of our partnership are deeper than optics and more durable than superficial comity. They are embedded in lasting strategic mutual self-interest. Both of our countries benefit from an Indo-Pacific in which no power can dominate the region. Both benefit from open trade and national autonomy. These shared interests form the foundation of our enduring strategic partnership,” Colby said. (ANI)
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