As the Trump administration recalibrates global partnerships, US experts are debating what it would take to elevate India to America’s top strategic ally. At a commission hearing, Jonathan Stivers openly questioned whether breaking relations with Pakistan would cement trust. The expert panel offered a more layered answer. Lindsey Ford highlighted collaboration on emerging technologies as central to the partnership. Sameer Lalwani stressed joint offensive defense capabilities, noting India’s need for credible long-range deterrence. Tanvi Madan underscored convergence on China and the importance of consistency in US foreign policy. Together, their recommendations suggest that formal alliance status will depend not on symbolic gestures but on concrete cooperation in defense, technology and shared Indo-Pacific strategy.