Of course there's no such thing as a free lunch however it seems the US is embarking on a very different sales pitch to India. They now seem to appreciate India values cooperation and JVs over off the shelf purchases and it's possible the new DPP of India has made the Yanks sit up and reasses their position. It's also possible they are now trying to pressurise India into signing certain agreements it has previously point-blank refused to sign such as the LSA and CISMOA, they've tried the stick (stripping certain tech from Indian purchases) but that tactic having failed (India simply went to others to fill the plugs) they are now trying the carrot approach.
Talking specifically about this EMALS offer, firstly excellent news it has actually been offered- thus had been speculated but not a really confirmed until now. Secondly the IN was interested in this system enough that they'd likely have gone for off the shelf procurement anyway- if the US are now offering industrial benefits to India- no matter how small, this is certainly a bonus- something is better than nothing.
Even though it's not mentioned, i wonder if the US would still be interested in a package deal wherein EMALS comes with other tech for the IN's future ACCs or whether the US is really willing to offer the EMALS as a stand alone sale.
I really doubt that US has suddenly woken up to realize its mistakes ....reasons to put such state of the art military platforms on platter can be only to lure India ? First question we should ask why ? and next question should be Why now ?
I think any of the US move needs to be analyzed from greater Geo-political perspective .
Ever since Condoleeza Rice proposed and single handedly pursued this India policy ....US administration had shown remarkable and unbelievable turn around ....suddenly Perennial India -haters in Washington DC have become India lovers ....
The change in US's India policy can be seen at different levels of administration .....sudden pre eminence of Immigrant Indian community has to some extent fuelled these changes ....
But most decisive factor for this major turnaround in US foreign policy is the rise of China .
CIA has singularly failed in predicting or realizing two of the greatest developments in recent Global politics : first was fall of USSR and second as spectacular rise of China .
US had been caught unaware by rather fast rise of China ....Been engaged in wars in middle east in 1990's and then in Iraq -Afghanistan US simply missed to truly gauge the significance of the accelerating rise of China ....by the time real threat of Chinese decrowning US dawned upon its government ....it was too late . Only thing US could realize was to scarble its diplomacy to forge hasty alliance to contain China.
Initial attempts to build Indo-Japanese-Australian alliance failed ....India proved to be too hard nut to crack ....The deeply entrenched mutual distrust as well as contempt was one reason but India's remarkably independent foreign policy turned major impediment ...
Indian nuclear tests were the last straw ...it announced inevitable arrival of India at nuclear high table ....This was followed by another defining incident and it is that of resilience of Indian economy in face of US sanctions !
The quickness with which US rolled back US sanctions and re-engaged with India demonstrates the impact of these two incidents on US thinking ....
So rise of China followed by rise of India , imminent threat posed by China's rapid ascent to US global supremacy and rise of Indian community in US all these factors shaped US's India policy .
US has gone back over its decades old 'India' syndrome .....and is able to see India differently ....yet US does not see India anything better than a counterweight to China .
Those of us who believe US has woken up to realize Indian values and etc etc ....are too naïve to understand complexities on International politics which basically involves pitting one against another and putting one above another !
If we are to see through America's great Asian gamble ....it is truly and rightly threatened by China ....and it desperately needs countries like India to check mate China's imminent rise....
More China remains entangled in Asia better it is for US ....
This is the whole crux of so called Asia pivot which is aimed at China ....
I am inclined to see the ongoing US gestures towards India as part and parcel to this larger US strategy in Asia .
India has but no choice to play this game ...and to avoid getting check mated even as She plays this game between not so Black and white sides !!!