WASHINGTON–President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to India, his second as a serving president, is historic for both its optics and the potential to fast track the slow moving train of India-US relations.
Obama as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day parade—the first US president to be invited for the occasion—has great symbolism. The White House recognised the significance of the first-ever invitation and acted despite difficulties of scheduling. The president’s State of the Union address to the US Congress, typically in the last week of January, was brought forward so Obama could be in New Delhi.