The value of India’s oil and gas trade with the United States rapidly increased in size over the last two to three years. Efforts by New Delhi to build better bilateral relations with Washington helped to energise the fossil fuel trade. India, as a consumer, can expect to buy oil and gas at reasonable prices in the mid-term, ensured not least by competition among suppliers. However, India’s import of coal from the US suppliers is projected to decline due to recent decision of the Indian Government to become self-sufficient in coal.

As the US presidential elections are just a few months away, the economic and strategic differences between India and the United States have come to the forefront. Trump–Modi partnership which started with ‘hugplomacy, is now transformed to that of ‘shadowboxing’. In this era, legacy as well as personal ties between the two leaders will matter little because national interests will be pursued relentlessly. India’s quest for autonomy in foreign policy and its ability to manage the contradictions with the United States will dictate the future course of relations between the two countries.