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WASHINGTON–Pundits note that India’s sustained economic ascendance and increasing military modernization are useful in keeping the balance of power in Asia – as a means of countering China’s growing power and inroads in the region. Recently, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a top conservative think tank based in the capital, held three-part panel discussions on India’s military modernization.

In his introductory remarks, AEI Dan Blumenthal pointed out that current trends have focused on the buildup of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, while India’s military reforms have been overlooked.

He added: “Yet India’s armed forces are likely to play as important a role as China’s over the coming decades as Asia’s two giants assume their roles as the region’s predominant powers. New Delhi’s significant changes to military doctrine and strategy, force composition, and procurement strategies will have far-reaching impacts on security in the region.”

The forum also tackled the question: “What are the economic and security implications for the United States?” Last July 14, AEI held another panel discussion related to this issue. It noted that the Obama administration and Congress “have undertaken the immense task of reshaping the U.S. export control system.”

“This spring, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that the administration plans to consolidate all export control functions into a single locus within the federal government within one year–far different from the multi-agency, fragmented system in place today,” the think tank stated. “If successful, these changes will have far-reaching implications for the delicate relationship between U.S. national security concerns and economic competitiveness.”

In the earlier forum, panelist Jasmeet Ahuja of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the House of Representatives is reviewing the export regulations,” adding that “the executive branch is leading this effort, particularly Secretary Gates.” She stressed that her views in the panel were those “of a private person and not as a congressional staffer.”

Some of the panelists also pointed to the enhanced relations of late between India and the U.S. Panelist Timothy Hoyt is a professor of strategy and policy at the U.S. Naval War College. He said there has been a “major change,” citing as example “India’s acceptance of American fleet on the Indian Ocean on a 24-7, 365-day basis.” He said the relations between the two countries “are much, much more favorable in the past ten-year period.”

Other panelists were: Jacqueline Newmyer, Long Term Strategy Group; Stephen Rosen, Harvard University and Shivaji Sondhi, Princeton University; Chris Clary, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Sunil Dasgupta, University of Maryland; James R. Holmes, U.S. Naval War College and Walter Ladwig III, Oxford University, with Thomas Donnelly of AEI as moderator.