India, Oct. 23 -- India faces a difficult diplomatic balancing act: It needs the US as a partner in technology, defence and the Indo-Pacific, but cannot allow its national interests to become casualties of President Donald Trump's transactional diplomacy. The tariff offensive, pressure over Russian oil purchases and Washington's engagement with Pakistan have exposed the fragility of a partnership built over three decades.

US secretary of State Marco Rubio's recent visit, his second to India in five months, offered New Delhi an opportunity to repair strained ties without surrendering strategic autonomy. With trade negotiations showing signs of progress and some punitive measures eased, the question is whether diplomatic warmth can deliver...