In 2024, Indian Americans offered a mixed assessment of the U.S.-India relationship, following the re-election of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump. A Carnegie Endowment survey found that while a significant portion of Indian Americans approved of the Biden administration’s management of U.S.-India ties, their opinions on Trump’s potential impact on future relations were more divided.
Indian Americans are concerned about the prospect of bilateral relations deteriorating under Trump, especially when compared to the Biden administration’s positive stance. Despite this, many approve of Modi’s performance and view India’s trajectory more favorably than in 2020. In particular, 47% of respondents believe India is on the right path, a 10% increase from four years ago, with many also expressing approval of Modi’s leadership.
The survey also highlighted concerns over India’s involvement in a controversial “murder-for-hire” plot targeting a U.S. citizen. However, most Indian Americans were unaware of these allegations. On global issues, Indian Americans were divided on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with partisan divides reflecting more pro-Israel views among Republicans and more sympathy for the Palestinian cause among Democrats.
Overall, the 2024 Indian American Attitudes Survey (IAAS) sheds light on how the diaspora evaluates U.S.-India relations, the trajectory of India’s internal politics, and the foreign policy outlook under future administrations.
