India: A Rising Geoeconomic Player with Political Problems 

Having emerged as the world’s fifth-largest economy India is well on its way to projecting influence around the world – though there are considerable domestic political and economic indicators that serve as significant arrestors in the path of New Delhi. The South Asian power seeks to be a key ally of the United States while simultaneously maintaining geopolitical distance from Washington. On the domestic front, India is moving toward an illiberal, majoritarian democracy. The policy space is filled with skewed assessments on the extent to which the right-wing religious nationalism of India’s ruling party will impact the state. This project provides nuanced analysis and forecasts and offers recommendations on for the U.S. to optimize this critical relationship.