Trump has offered India 100% access to all US Technologies and treat India as the closest ally

“Close alignment with the US will strengthen India’s national security and protect its sovereignty.  China will think twice before threatening to attack India. Future wars will be won by whoever has superior technology”, says the author

The US spends half a trillion dollars a year on scientific research—more than any other nation on Earth—but China has pulled into second place, with the European Union, third and Japan, a distant fourth.   China is on track to surpass the US by the end of this year, according to the National Science Board.  In 2016, annual scientific publications from China outnumbered those from the US for the first time.

“There seems to be a sea change in how people are talking about Chinese science,” said Alanna Krolikowski, a Chinese science expert at Missouri University of Science and Technology. Foreign observers, many of whom were once condescending, now “are rather in awe at what the Chinese policies have accomplished.”

The scientific advances are a small piece of China’s larger ambitions.   President Xi Jinping aims to supplant the USA as the world’s economic superpower within three decades.  In October Xi vowed to produce “a world-class army by 2050.”  Meanwhile, China is spending more on infrastructure than the US or Europe, and the middle class has ballooned – making relocation more attractive.

India was ahead of China in nuclear development and could have tested before 1964, when China tested. India was foolish to wait for China to test first; and tested only in 1974.  The US punished India with severe sanctions.  Indian scientists were shut off from all international scientific conventions.  India further tested in 1998 and the US punished with more sanctions.  Thanks to George W Bush for offering India civil nuclear agreement that lifted the sanctions of 3 decades.  India was shut off for 30 years.   Nehru may be held responsible for enabling China to advance ahead of India.

There is something dangerously wrong with Indian policies.  After 71 years of independence, India is unable to deliver water and electricity 24/7 to all Indians.  Why?   The Indian Institute of Technology is branded No.1 in the world.  At least 50,000 of IIT alumni have settled in the US. As citizens of the USA many of them have performed par excellence in different fields.

Prime Minister Modi must take aggressive steps to transform India from backwardness to modernization. He should liberalize policies to encourage the USA to invest and participate in the Indian economy.  Modi physically embraced Trump at the White House. He must follow up by India embracing the US and seek full alignment with the USA.    Chester Bowles, American Ambassador to India during Truman’s and Kennedy’s era fell in love with India and recommended a strong partnership with the USA.  But Nehru turned down the offer.    India pretended nonalignment, but it was aligned with the Soviet Union.

Prime Minister Modi must capitalize on the opportunity President Trump has offered to India in technology, defense, and economic development.   If India gives carte blanche to the USA, India will be modernized within the shortest possible time enabling the US to import consumer and industrial products from India instead of from China.Full access to the latest U.S. technology and investing in research and development can make India compete with China.  India is the youngest country in the world.  India is also the largest English speaking country in the world, second being the USA.    India should be able to create huge employment opportunities for its large supply of engineers, scientists and management professionals.

Close alignment with the US will strengthen India’s national security and protect its sovereignty. China will think twice before threatening to attack India.  Future wars will be won by whoever has superior technology.   In this context, India should continue to align with Israel, besides, of course, its close alignment with the US.

(The author, 64 year resident of USA; MBA, Columbia Business School, is a Diplomat-in-Residence and Senior Adviser to Imagindia Institute. a think tank in New Delhi. He can be reached at  vpwaren@gmail.com)