Clinton in India: Great Expectations

NEW DELHI -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's five-day trip to India marked the formal launch of a full-fledged bilateral exchange between Washington and New Delhi, one that will set the tone for the trajectory of India's future engagement with the Obama administration.

As expected, Clinton's agenda covered the five pillars of the Indo-U.S. relationship: defense cooperation, science and technology, energy and climate change, education and trade. But the visit left the impression that it was crafted to be more symbolic than substantial, leading many to believe that Clinton was working according to a script, rather than as a much-vaunted "friend of India." ...