This book charts the relationship between the evolving governments of independent India and concurrent US presidential administrations. It provides an in-depth analysis of the motivations, external constraints and ideological agendas that characterized Indian-US relations.

Even stronger than its outstanding predecessor, the third edition of Understanding Contemporary India provides context for and evaluates more than a decade of challenges and changes in India. Entirely new chapters on geography, politics, the economy, international relations, religion, and environmental challenges, along with updated material throughout (including the impact of the novel coronavirus), result in an indispensable volume that describes and analyzes the paradoxical nature of the world's largest and most diverse democracy.