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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know News India Times (March 28, 2026 - April 3, 2026) April 3, 2026 4 US-India India Will Play Central Role In Ensuring A Favorable Balance Of Power In Indo-Pacific: Senior US Official T he United States and India benefit from an Indo-Pacific where no power can dominate the region, US Under Secretary ofWar for Policy Elbridge Colby has said and noted that his country believes that India will play a central role in ensuring a favourable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. Speaking at an event in New Delhi, Colby said the US efforts to cooperate with India are designed not only to collaborate on key issues but also to strengthen and enable India precisely “in order to promote and sustain a favorable regional balance of power that serves us both”. He said the United States views India with deep respect–as a republic of continental scale, as a na- tion with a proud strategic tradition, and as a coun- try whose decisions will profoundly shape the future of the Indo-Pacific and the international landscape more broadly. “Our two countries, of course, differ in history, geography, and perspective in important ways. Yet we share something fundamental: a conviction that the future of Asia should be determined by sovereign nations able to chart their own course,” he said. “In that vein, today I would like to outline how the United States thinks about our relationship with India in the geopolitical and defense domains. My goal is to lay out a logical, coherent framework that can help guide the defense cooperation between our two proud and independent countries amid tectonic strategic changes. And my contention is that this approach is fundamen- tally aligned with that of India’s – thus both reflecting and forming a firm and durable basis for our partnership,” he added. Colby said there is a significant shift in global power in generations. “We are living through one of the most significant shifts in global power in generations. The Indo-Pacific has become the central theatre of international politics, eco- nomics, and security. Indian but also American interests and long-term prosperity will be decisively shaped by developments in this region,” he said. “In addressing these trends, the United States rec- ognizes a basic reality: no single country can sustain a stable balance of power in Asia. The region is too large, too varied, and too important. Stability will instead depend on the collective contributions of capable states that share an interest in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he added. The official said that India’s importance stems not only from its size and economic potential, but also from its geography and strategic position. “Your country sits astride the Indian Ocean, which is the connective tissue of the Indo-Pacific. India possesses a long tradition of strategic autonomy and a growing capacity to shape events well beyond its borders. It is the largest republic in the world; its success thus carries profound symbolic and political weight. And it has for- midable, self-reliant, and capable military forces, willing and able to shoulder significant security responsibilities,” he said. “For all these reasons, the United States sees India not merely as a key partner, but as an essential one in ensur- ing a long-term favourable balance of power in Asia,” he added. Colby said that the approach that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has laid out resonates deeply “with our own on many levels, but most importantly at that of fundamental perspective”. “Both of us believe that countries must operate with confidence in defending and advancing their own in- terests – and that that is not only prudent but also right. Both of us believe that foreign policy grounded in concrete national interests creates a stronger and more self-sustaining foundation for cooperation and indeed for peace. Both of us believe that a durable and stable balance of power in Asia is a topmost priority,” he said. As a result, when the United States acts to secure the safety, prosperity, and freedom of the American people, and India acts with equal determination on behalf of the Indian people, our efforts will frequent- ly and materially reinforce one another, the senior US official said. “At the same time, we do not expect nor require unerring agreement. Rather, we are flexible, looking for areas of agreement where they count most. We recognize that foreign policy should be practical and about results; as Minister Jaishankar wisely advised, the circumstances of today ‘require flexible arrange- ments that are customized to the challenge’”. He said it is actually a key strength of the U.S.-In- dia relationship that it rests not on dusty formalities and unchallengeable shibboleths but on a hard-head- ed, clear-eyed recognition of overlapping interests. Colby highlighted several key pillars of the bilateral partnership. “First, the United States and India do not need to agree on everything to cooperate effectively. What matters is that our interests and objectives increasingly converge on the most fundamental issues. Differences and even disputes are fully compatible with deepening alignment and cooperation on strategic matters. The roots of our partnership are deeper than optics and more durable than superficial comity; they are, rather, thickly embed- ded in lasting strategic mutual self-interest,” he said. “Both of our countries benefit from an Indo-Pacific in which no power can dominate the region. Both benefit from open trade and national autonomy. These are the concrete, shared interests that form the foundation of our enduring strategic partnership,” he added. The US official said India and the US recognize the strategic centrality of military power for a stable bal- ance in the region and that defense cooperation should enhance real capability rather than be merely totemic or driven by inertia. -ANI PHOTO:ANI Senioe US official Eldridge Colby. Modi, Trump Discuss Importance Of Keeping Strait Of Hormuz Open I ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Tuesday and discussed the situation in the Middle East, including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, U.S. envoy to India Sergio Gor and Modi said in separate posts on X. This was the first call between the two leaders since the U.S. and Israel launched co-ordinated attacks against Iran on February 28. “India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world,” Modi said in his post. The conflict has disrupted sectors from air travel to shipping and gas supplies, including by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a conduit for 40% of India’s crude oil imports. Modi told parliament on Monday that the crisis had triggered unprecedented challenges for India and added that the fundamentals of the Indian economy were strong and the country had adequate availability of petroleum, fertilisers and coal to weather trade and energy disruptions. AWhite House official confirmed the call be- tween Trump and Modi but did not comment on what was discussed. -Reuters PHOTO:REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE/FILE PHOTO U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 13, 2025.