In 2009, India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the White House and was a popular guest of the US President Barack Obama. The first state dinner of the two leaders was a star studded affair which reflected blooming ties between the two countries.

At that time, optimists in Washington saw India as a counterbalance to a rising China. Optimists saw India as new an engine for the US economy. Obama talked about his "duty" to bring India and US closer during his dinner toast.

However, that said "duty" had only been partly fulfilled. On Friday, the two leaders had been set to meet again at the White House. This was on a scheduled working bilateral meeting which placed Obama under pressure from lawmakers and lobby groups. According to lawmakers and lobby groups, India's lax enforcement of intellectual property rights and its protectionism had angered foreign investors. India's National Security Adviser had accepted that a drifting relationship between the two nations had been perceived.

The United States had a USD60 billion trade with India and was just an eight of the US-China trade.