Why no U.S. military base has ever been allowed on Indian soil

In an era where the United States operates over 750 military installations across 80 countries, one major power stands conspicuously absent from America’s global military footprint: India. Despite hosting more than 100 bases in Germany, 120 in Japan, and 73 in South Korea, the Pentagon has never established so much as a single outpost on Indian territory.

This absence is no oversight—it’s a deliberate policy rooted in India’s commitment to strategic autonomy and hard-learned historical lessons. From Nehru to Modi, successive Indian governments have maintained an unwavering stance: no foreign boots on Indian soil, regardless of partnership agreements or geopolitical pressures.

Colonial Memory and Strategic Foresight

India’s resistance stems from both colonial memory and contemporary strategic calculation. Having witnessed America’s pattern of intervention—from the 1953 CIA coup in Iran to regime changes in Guatemala, Chile, and Iraq—India recognises that military bases often serve as springboards for broader geopolitical manipulation rather than mere defensive installations.

The recent Iranian missile strikes on Qatar’s Al Udeid Base in June 2025 starkly illustrated the risks of hosting foreign military assets. Qatar, though uninvolved in the US-Iran conflict, became a target simply by virtue of what it hosted. India has no intention of inheriting America’s enemies through such arrangements.

Strategic Autonomy in Practice

Unlike nations that rely on American protection, India possesses formidable indigenous defence capabilities: one of the world’s largest armies, nuclear weapons, advanced naval forces, and growing space and cyber warfare programmes. This self-reliance underpins its ability to maintain strategic independence.

India’s own modest overseas military presence—in Tajikistan, Mauritius, and Bhutan—operates through consent and collaboration rather than dominance, reflecting its preference for partnership over subordination.

Whilst India engages in joint military exercises with the US and maintains logistics agreements like LEMOA, these arrangements explicitly stop short of permanent stationing. As Indian officials consistently clarify: logistical access is not base access.

This principled stance preserves India’s diplomatic flexibility, allowing it to engage simultaneously with Russia, America, China, and other powers without compromising its sovereignty or becoming a proxy in others’ conflicts.

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