Dawn of a new relationship

Mumbai and Delhi could be on two different planets, right from topography to attitudes. But Delhi being the capital, is a place where policies are made and that gives it a position of influence. This is particularly true of foreign policy, which is the sole domain of the central government.

In the past, visiting heads of State or Government used to visit Delhi only. This began to change in the 1990s after India opened up its economy. The visits began to get economic dimensions and businessmen became a part of the visitors' delegation. Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad emerged as destinations of choice for such visits. However, this time, President Obama's trip to India had many aspects that made it unique.

Obama's visit as salesman-in-chief as well as head of the State has signalled a new phase in bilateral relations

Firstly, he began his trip from Mumbai. Travelling with over 200 top executives from big US companies sent an unmistakable message that he had come to India as a salesman for his country.u00a0 After speaking to some of the hostages who had survived the 26/11 terrorist attacks and visiting Mani Bhavan, which was the home of Mahatma Gandhi for several years, he addressed a gathering of India's top businessmen and announced many business deals, amounting to $10 billion dollars.

At this stage, there was some criticism that he had not mentioned Pakistan even once, though the talk at the Taj Mahal hotel was a perfect opportunity to do so. There are many theories for this, but it could also be that he didn't want anything to overshadow the business angle of his trip.

As Obama came to India in the immediate aftermath of his party's loss in the US mid-term elections, it was important for him to show that he was doing something about the US's sagging economyu00a0-- that's why the message throughout his speech in Mumbai was "jobs for Americans". This move was unprecedented. He was careful not to bring up contentious issues like 'outsourcing', which would displease the Indian hosts, who have maintained that outsourcing is a win-win for both the countries.

Though the visit to Delhi was more about strategic issues, economic matters were on the agenda too. In his press conference, PM Manmohan Singh not only spoke about Pakistan and Kashmir, he forcefully said that India was "not in the business of stealing jobs".

Clearly, economic ties have now become as important as strategic relations; infact, both could be closely linked. By coming here as a salesman-in-chief as well as the head of the State, President Obama has signalled a new phase in bilateral relations.

Sidharth Bhatia is a journalist and blogger