Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently traveled to China to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties as India faces pressure from U.S. tariffs. The meeting comes against the backdrop of Washington's long-held desire for the world's largest democracy to act as a counterweight to China. 

Otherwise, India could get pushed towards China and possibly join a Beijing-led free-trade pact, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Devashish Mitra, Gerald B. and Daphna Cramer Professor of Global Affairs, tells Reuters.

“In the situation and climate President Trump has created, it won’t be surprising if both India and China find this a mutually beneficial transaction,” he says.

Mitra was also a guest on NPR's Morning Edition to discuss where he thinks India's economic and geopolitical relationships will go after the Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods.

“India has had a huge geopolitical importance within the region. India has a population of 1.4 billion, and it's a large democracy next to China, which has a similar population, a bigger economy, but it is not a democracy,” says Mitra.

“So India was, you know, one of U.S.' strong allies in the region and was a counter to China. So it's [tariffs] going to make a huge difference,” he says.