United States Presidential Elections 2020 votes are being counted and as of now, Joe Biden has taken lead over Republican counterpart with 224 votes, while Donald Trump is just 10 votes behind him at 213. Though an immense majority of China believe that whosoever will come into power, Beijing's relationship with the US will remain strained.
However, on the flip side, Trump's or Biden's win will not have much impact on India. Both countries will continue to share an amicable bond despite a few differences.
So far, India's relation with the United States has evolved and only grown irrespective of Democrats or Republicans in the White House.
According to the report of India Today, only India-US relation is significant on the foreign policy front that goes beyond the usual 'give and take' relationship.
H1B Visa & Terrorism
Democratic supporter Ajay Bhutoria and Republican Puneet Ahluwalia have almost the same things to say on policy issues.
“Trump has suspended the H1B visa program and extended the backlog of green card for Indians. Biden will revive the H1 quota according to industry needs. He is going to streamline the green card process. He will stand against Chinese aggression at the border, is against cross-border terrorism and supports India,” said Ajay Bhutoria.
Countering his claim, Puneet Ahluwalia said, “He will take on China and will see that he breaks the monopoly in the South China Sea... That is why Secretary Pompeo went all over the world to build partnerships. We will take on Russia and Iran and far more emphasis would be put on the Abraham Accord seeking peace in the Middle East.”
“We will see more trade deals with India. Both sides will come forward in working out the issues which prohibit the doing of business with India. A lot will have to do with ‘Ease of Doing Business’ with India so that more American companies can have stronger ties. The other issue is fighting terrorism, an issue of concern for everyone. It is important that we find the terrorists wherever they are and exterminate them,” he added.
On the H1B visa front, Trump organization was seen stalling and the niggling issues on the trade front have still not been resolved.
Biden-Harris and Right Issues
It has been believed by the experts that whichever party will come to power would want strong ties with Delhi ignoring minor differences. If Biden-Harris duo wins the election their common concern for India would be rights issues, particularly Kamala Harris’ stand on how the Indian government handled the issue of Kashmir.
"The US election is a win-win for India. It will produce a winner who supports India and US-India partnership. To be sure, there are some differences between Biden and Trump on India. Biden is more likely to be critical of India on rights issues," said Michael Kugelman, Senior Associate at the Woodrow Wilson Center.
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Richard Rossow, Wadhwani Chair at US-India Policy Studies said, "This election will certainly impact US-India ties. Some areas will be pretty stable no matter the outcome. Notably, defense relations. I believe a Biden administration will reaffirm cooperation in areas like climate change and be more supportive of skilled immigration, but also be tougher on India related to issues of religious tolerance."
Notably, India is a humongous market and is an important ally of the US in the fight against 'dragon' China. If Washington has to move forward to secure the Indo-Pacific, New Delhi is the key intermediator.
Iran Deal and India's Role
Apart from these issues, Biden as President could reverse Trump’s decisions on Iran and revive the Iran Nuclear Deal, which would allow India to continue working with Tehran, an important partner to counter Pakistan in Afghanistan.
"Also, the sharp differences between the two men on foreign policy more broadly will have implications for India. Biden, for example, wants a more conciliatory policy toward Iran-and that would help an Indian government that values its economic ties to Tehran and doesn’t want to be encumbered with a tough US sanctions regime on Iran," said Kugelman.
Biden Offers Less Volatility
Last but pertinent is the style of functioning. While PM Narendra Modi is one of those rare leaders who manage to have a great rapport with Trump, the latter’s off-the-cuff remarks have landed the former in quite uncomfortable positions in the pasts, like the offer to mediate on the Kashmir issue.
A less volatile, predictable, and conventional Joe Biden might be a welcome change but any interference in India’s internal matters could bitter the relations. It is for the American leadership to be mindful of such sensitivities should they want to continue strengthening relations.