India as a superpower

During Condoleezza Rice's visit to India, US and India unveilled a strategic partnership at a whole new level.

The United States unveiled plans Friday to help India become a "major world power in the 21st century" even as it announced moves to beef up the military of Pakistan.

Under the plans, Washington offered to step up a strategic dialogue with India to boost missile defense and other security initiatives as well as high-tech cooperation and expanded economic and energy cooperation.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the Bush administration's outline for a "decisively broader strategic relationship" between the world's oldest and largest democracies, a senior US official said.

"Its goal is to help India become a major world power in the 21st century," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We understand fully the implications, including military implications, of that statement."

Inspite of the US decision to sale F-16s to Pakistan, Sam bharose is not alone in feeling that India and US will make great strategic partners.

As I went through the related articles, posts (here, here, and here) and their comments I saw a very keen desire from everybody (both Americans and Indians) that US and India should come together and that US and India are natural partners.

This is a significant development as it shows that irrespective of which party is in power in India, India is ready to come out of its Non-Aligned past. Also, this is the first time US is looking towards India as a strategic partner and not just an annonying emergent power that needs to be contained!