---
title: "India ‘More Important’ Than China As an Ally to U.S."
description: "While Americans are more open to economic engagement than they have been in the past, they also continue to exhibit a wariness about refocusing U.S. policy toward Asia and have misgivings about accepting more high-skilled immigrants."
date: "2013-12-04"
authors:
  - name: "No Author"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2013/12/04/india-more-important-than-china-as-an-ally-to-u-s/"
---

# India ‘More Important’ Than China As an Ally to U.S.

*By Bruce Stokes, Director of Global Economic Attitudes, Pew Research Center*

Special to [*Business Standard*](http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-more-important-than-china-as-an-ally-to-us-113120301160_1.html)

With India slated to elect a new government early next year and the [Barack Obama](http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Barack+Obama) administration heading into the last three years of its tenure, can New Delhi and Washington build a stronger relationship, much as the administration of George W. Bush was able to do in its second term? A new opinion [poll](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2013/12/03/public-sees-u-s-power-declining-as-support-for-global-engagement-slips/) by the Pew Research Center, which surveyed both the American public and [U.S.](http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Us) foreign policy experts, provides mixed signals about the prospect for deepening Indo-American ties.

The U.S. public's view of India has soured in recent years. In 2008, the year of the [Indo-U.S. civil nuclear agreement](http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Indo-us+Civil+Nuclear+Agreement), 63 per cent of Americans surveyed by the Pew Research Center had a favourable perception of India. This year, that positive opinion has fallen sharply to 46 per cent.

Read more at [*Business Standard*](http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-more-important-than-china-as-an-ally-to-us-113120301160_1.html)