USA (Commonwealth Union)_ A new report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace sheds light on the varying opinions held by Indian Americans regarding US-India relations under the Biden and Trump administrations. The report, titled Foreign Policy Attitudes of Indian Americans: 2024 Survey Results, delves into how the community perceives the management of bilateral ties and the potential trajectory of US-India relations under both leaders. Released on March 10, 2025, the study is co-authored by Sumitra Badrinathan, Devesh Kapur, Annabel Richter, and Milan Vaishnav. It surveys the perspectives of over 1,200 Indian American adults and provides insights into the community’s views on US-India foreign policy, as well as India’s political trajectory. Given that more than 5 million people of Indian origin reside in the US, their opinions on foreign policy matters have significant weight.
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The report notes that, overall, Indian Americans hold a positive view of the Biden administration’s handling of US-India relations, though opinions are more mixed when evaluating the approach taken by former President Donald Trump. According to the findings, approximately half of Indian Americans approve of Biden’s stewardship of bilateral ties between the two democracies, with nearly four in ten respondents agreeing that the administration’s support for India was appropriately balanced. However, there are divided opinions on whether the US successfully navigated its interests and values in relation to India. In contrast, the Indian American community has expressed greater concern over the Trump administration’s management of US-India relations. Respondents generally rated Biden’s record more favorably compared to Trump’s first term, with many believing that the relationship would have been more prosperous under a potential second-term Vice President Kamala Harris.
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The survey suggests that Indian Americans prefer the diplomatic approach under Biden, rather than the more unpredictable stance they associate with Trump. The report also highlights several controversial issues that have impacted the bilateral relationship, such as the US federal allegations of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and the alleged involvement of India in a murder-for-hire plot against an American Sikh activist advocating for Khalistan. Despite the gravity of these developments, the survey found that the “murder-for-hire” allegations were not widely known within the Indian American community. Only about half of respondents were aware of these claims, and a slim majority agreed that India would not be justified in taking such actions on US soil. The survey also reveals a divide among Indian Americans when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There is no monolithic stance within the community, with Democrats tending to express more empathy for the Palestinian cause and Republicans showing greater support for Israel.
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A notable portion of respondents, around four in ten, stated that they believed the Biden administration had shown excessive favoritism toward Israel in the ongoing conflict. On the matter of India’s internal political trajectory, the survey findings suggest a more optimistic view among Indian Americans compared to previous years. Forty-seven percent of respondents believe India is headed in the right direction, a significant 10-point increase from 2020. In addition, four in ten respondents expressed the view that India’s 2024 election enhanced the country’s democratic processes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s performance was also favorably rated, with nearly half of respondents approving of his leadership.
The Carnegie Endowment’s report is based on a nationally representative online survey conducted between September 18 and October 15, 2024, with a margin of error of +/- 3 percent. It marks the second installment in a three-part series examining the political, social, and foreign policy attitudes of Indian Americans, offering valuable insights into how the community views US-India relations and India’s evolving political landscape. As US-India ties continue to develop, these findings underline the complexity of the Indian American community’s stance, shaped by a range of political, historical, and cultural factors.
