India-US 2025 Defence Pact: A Hollow Spectacle, Global Deception, and India’s Struggle for Trust and Global Influence

The 2025 India-US Defence Pact Agreement has been promoted by India as a major achievement in strengthening its ties with the US. However, this agreement, far from being a breakthrough, is merely a superficial show meant to enhance India’s image. The truth is that this agreement masks India’s failure to gain the US’s trust and fulfill its promises. The 2025 agreement, much like previous pacts in 2005 and 2015, is likely to end with empty results, proving that India’s claims of global reliability are largely exaggerated.

India’s Self-Promoted Victory: A False Image of Success

India has presented the 2025 Defence Pact as proof of its growing importance on the global stage. However, this claim is misleading.
♦ Empty Claims: India’s self-proclaimed victory hides the reality of its failure to win the trust of the US. Despite loud statements, the US remains cautious and unwilling to provide India with critical technology.
♦ Domestic Political Tool: The framework has been used by India as a political tool to claim a central role in global defence. In reality, the US continues to withhold sensitive technologies, showing its doubts about India’s reliability.

A Shield for India’s Global Setback

The 2025 agreement serves as a shield to cover India’s embarrassment after its failed Operation Sindoor.
♦ Covering Failures: Instead of advancing India’s defence capabilities, the agreement has been used to distract from India’s lack of progress in regional diplomacy. The failure of Operation Sindoor and other military setbacks have been overshadowed by the exaggerated claims surrounding this agreement.
♦ Lack of US Commitment: Despite the agreement, the US has remained hesitant to offer India the support it seeks due to India’s continuing relationships with Russia. This hesitation points to India’s failure to gain the US’s full trust.

Repeating Past Failures: Unfulfilled Promises

The 2025 agreement is expected to mirror the failures of India’s past agreements with the US.
♦ Unmet Expectations: Previous agreements, such as those in 2005 and 2015, failed to deliver on promises of advanced technology transfers and joint production. Instead, these deals mainly resulted in conventional arms sales, benefiting American companies while India received little in return.
♦ Strategic Ambiguity: India’s inconsistent foreign policy and bureaucratic inefficiencies have prevented past agreements from being fully implemented. The 2025 framework is likely to meet the same fate, offering empty promises without tangible results.

India’s Provocations: Undermining Trust

India’s actions in the region, particularly its cross-border strikes against Pakistan, have consistently undermined its credibility as a reliable partner.
♦ Reckless Behaviour: India’s military actions in 2019 and 2025, particularly its cross-border strikes, have painted the country as a regional provocateur. These actions contradict the image of a responsible partner that India tries to project.
♦ Trump’s Silence: Even President Trump, who often praised India, chose not to acknowledge the 2025 Defence Framework. His silence speaks volumes about the limited significance of the agreement and India’s inability to build genuine trust with the US.

A Theatrical Display: The Reality Behind India’s Claims

The 2025 India-US Defence Framework is more of a theatrical show designed to create the illusion of success, while in reality, it achieves little.
♦ Empty Rhetoric: India’s claims of deepened ties and operational cooperation with the US are mere rhetoric. The agreement lacks real substance, and promises made by India to secure technology transfers and joint defence projects have not been realized.
♦ A Global Deception: The framework was presented as a strategic achievement, but in truth, it is a global deception. India’s inability to fulfill its commitments and its continued opportunistic foreign policy make the agreement hollow.

Trust Deficit: India’s Strategic Disconnect with the US

India’s failure to gain the trust of the US is at the heart of the lack of real defence cooperation.
♦ Chronic Trust Issues: India’s ongoing relationship with Russia has created a trust deficit with the US. Washington remains wary, knowing that India might transfer sensitive technologies to Moscow, which undermines the US’s interests.
♦ Strategic Disconnect: Despite signing agreements like the 2025 framework, India and the US are not fully aligned in terms of their strategic goals. India’s contradictory alliances and reluctance to fully commit to the US’s priorities prevent meaningful defence cooperation.

India’s Struggle for Global Recognition

India continues to struggle for global recognition, and its failure to form meaningful, reliable alliances highlights the limits of its foreign policy.
♦ No Real Progress: Despite its efforts, India remains unable to secure genuine partnerships with global powers like the US. The failure to establish a strong defence relationship with the US only reinforces India’s position as a power with unrealized potential.
♦ Hollow Promises: India’s repeated claims of global importance and strategic success have failed to produce any real outcomes. The 2025 framework, like previous agreements, shows that India’s ambitions often remain unfulfilled, with little to show for its grand promises.

The Path Forward: India’s Need for Consistency in Foreign Policy

India must develop a more consistent and reliable foreign policy if it hopes to achieve its global aspirations.
♦ End Strategic Ambiguity: India must clarify its position in foreign policy and align itself with the US and other global powers. Balancing ties with both the US and Russia has only undermined India’s credibility and prevented the formation of stronger alliances.
♦ Building Real Trust: India must build a foreign policy based on consistent relationships, demonstrating a genuine commitment to global peace and stability. Only then will India be able to build trust with the US and form meaningful partnerships.

Conclusion: A Hollow Agreement That Undermines India’s Global Aspirations

The 2025 India-US Defence Framework is far from the strategic victory India claims it to be. The agreement is a hollow achievement, driven by India’s desire to project an image of success while failing to deliver any real outcomes. The promises made in the agreement about deeper defence ties and technology transfers remain unfulfilled, leaving India with little to show for its efforts. Until India addresses its trust deficit and aligns its foreign policy, its defence diplomacy will remain empty, marked by grand claims and unmet expectations. The 2025 framework is a testament to India’s struggle for credibility on the world stage, highlighting the gap between India’s ambitions and its actual achievements.