Sergio Gor began his diplomatic tenure in India with his first public address at the U.S. Embassy on January 12. While the speech was expectedly cordial, the messaging it portrays needs to be read between the lines to grasp how the current US administration views India and the future trajectory of the bilateral ties.
Key Takeaways
Paying close attention to the sequencing of issues and themes in Gor’s speech becomes crucial, as it reveals the relative importance the US attaches to each issue and the order in which it intends to address them.
Early emphasis was laid on reciprocity as the bedrock of the India-US ties. This was Sergio Gor subtly setting the terms of engagement, by suggesting that goodwill alone will no longer suffice and that the partnership will increasingly be assessed through tangible deliverables.
The much-awaited trade deal between the two countries featured at the very outset of the Ambassador’s remarks, indicating that finalising an agreement is once again a priority for Washington, despite some recent damaging comments made by the US Commerce Secretary. He added that the next round of discussions was scheduled for the next day, that is, January 13, much to the delight of the onlookers. The renewed sense of urgency suggests that the American side is viewing the discussions on trade as a political barometer of the broader relationship.
Next in line was Gor’s invitation to India to join Pax Silica, a term given to define the US-led attempt to secure global supply chains around enhanced tech like critical minerals, semiconductors and AI. For the US, this is friendshoring 101: drawing a country like India, with its vast market, manufacturing base and large skilled labour force, into its strategic orbit, while reducing supply chain dependence on China. While it presents India with an opportunity to access emerging and future tech, it would be wise to ensure that alignment with the US-led partnership does not impinge on its own strategic flexibility.
Finally, he goes on to expand the agenda by invoking “big partnerships” between the two countries, from counter-terrorism, and technology to health and energy. These enhanced areas of cooperation help the US to posit India as a long-standing strategic partner, despite the recent downturn in relations. This, in turn, helps to compartmentalise areas of friction, while not losing sight of larger areas where the interests of both sides converge. Such an approach is mutually beneficial as it ensures that areas of deep cooperation, like defence and IT, are not eclipsed by transient disputes like tariffs.
Important Signals for India
The choice of certain keywords and phrases by the Ambassador is equally revealing, about how the relationship is viewed in Washington.
To begin with, Sergio Gor admitted that the bilateral relationship has been strained over the past year. He then qualified this statement by stating that “friends resolve differences”, signalling cautious optimism coupled with subtle coercion. Such a phrase acts as a tool for expectation-setting by the US, while simultaneously highlighting for India the transaction-driven approach of the current US dispensation and its obsession with favourable outcomes over dialogue.
Gor then went on to address the elephant in the room when he referenced India’s continued import of Russian oil as a major irritant in the ties. This was in line with the American approach of sustained public pressure on this matter. Mentioning this issue in his inaugural address, he made sure to voice the White House’s expectations of India aligning with the US at a time when the latter is facing heightened geopolitical contestation around the world and a timely resolution of the disagreement. It achieves this while also pushing India towards greater international scrutiny for its energy choices and underscoring that Washington intends to keep this question alive in future engagements.
The address revealed that the US appears to be increasingly employing a carrot-and-stick approach in its engagement with India. For instance, the stick is clearly visible in its tough posture on tariffs and India’s imports of Russian oil. Conversely, the carrot comes in the form of periodic strategic incentives: from defence deals to Pax Silica, with the most recent example being that of the Indian Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, taking part in the G7 Critical Minerals Ministerial Meet in Washington at the behest of the US, just hours after Sergio Gor’s public address in Delhi. This pattern of selective and conditional cooperation is being used to build leverage over India to press for outcomes that align with American priorities.
Lastly, repeated mentions in the speech of the relationship being anchored at the “highest level” when combined with his personal closeness to President Trump, indicate that Gor is operating with direct political backing and a clear line to the White House. Hopefully, this results in fast-tracking issues of critical importance while also minimising miscommunication and bureaucratic delays between the two countries. As it stands, Sergio Gor has been entrusted with a greater degree of authority and impunity than his recent predecessors to act and implement the decisions of the Trump Administration on the ground.
For New Delhi, this presents a delicate balancing act: to leverage the Ambassador’s proximity to Trump to secure favourable concessions and ease frictions, while benefiting from short-term partnerships without allowing itself to get boxed into long-term constraints on its strategic autonomy.
