India's recent general elections meant a defeat for the BJP-led coalition government and an unexpected victory for the Congress-led coalition government, which was sworn in on May 22. The result, far from what was anticipated, has left many in Washington wondering what impact this transition will have. Economic growth in India reached 8.2 percent last year--will the new government continue the economic reforms program? Could the new government abandon the peace initiative towards Pakistan launched by the Vajpayee government? Will Congress be committed to improving U.S.-India relations?

Walter Andersen, retired chief of the U.S. State Department's South Asia Division in the Office of Analysis for the Near East and South Asia; Desmond Lachman, AEI; Joydeep Mukherji, director for sovereign ratings at Standard & Poor's in New York; and Gautam Adhikari, AEI and former executive editor of the Times of India, will discuss what the future may hold.