Published Paper Details:

This study examines how the United States has leveraged economic and technological interdependence as instruments of strategic coercion against India. The concept of "weaponized interdependence" wherein states controlling key nodes in global networks extract strategic advantage to the contemporary US-India relationship. The study identifies three primary mechanisms of American leverage. First, through financial hegemony, the United States has deployed extraterritorial sanctions against Indian entities, most notably the February 2026 designation of Elevate Marine Management for transporting Iranian petroleum, demonstrating how dollar-based financial architecture enables Washington to penalize transactions with no direct American nexus. Second, through technological export controls governed by ITAR and EAR regulations, American bureaucratic processes continue to impede Indian businesses and defence collaborations, creating what Indian policymakers characterize as "strategic lock-in" rather than genuine partnership. The proposed F-35 fighter jet sale exemplified this dynamic, offering advanced technology contingent upon restrictions on source code access, weapons integration, and logistical independence--conditions India ultimately rejected. Third, through market access leveraged via punitive tariffs, the Trump administration imposed fifty percent tariffs on Indian goods in 2025, explicitly linking trade penalties to India's continued procurement of Russian oil.