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The key reason why India ranks lower in the policy profile of the Barack Obama administration than it did under President George W Bush is that America's Asia policy is no longer guided by an overarching geopolitical framework. In fact, after five months in office, Obama's approach on Asia lacks a distinct strategic imprint and thus appears fragmented. His administration may have a policy approach towards each major Asian country and issue, but still lacks a strategy on how to build an enduring power equilibrium in Asia.

The result is that Washington is again looking at India primarily through the Pakistan prism. That translates into a US focus on India-Pakistan engagement, revived attention on the Kashmir issue and counter insurgency in the Af-Pak region, including...