New Delhi ( CNN ) -- If India and the United States were Facebook friends , the relationship between the world 's two largest democracies would undoubtedly be `` complicated . '' It is no secret the two countries have endured a rocky period . And yet , as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in India this week , there are clear signs of a rapprochement . In a speech Monday in Washington , Kerry previewed the message he is bringing to New Delhi , echoing President Barack Obama 's famous words about India and the U.S. forming this century 's `` defining partnership . '' For an address that was played out on television screens across India , Kerry cleverly ticked off the key boxes : he praised new Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke repeatedly of two confident nations that were `` natural partners ... connected by core values . '' Crucially , Kerry talked about boosting trade between the two nations from $ 100 billion to five times that amount -- a surge that would rank India as a bigger trading partner than France , the United Kingdom , Germany or Japan . Kerry said all the right things . Now it 's New Delhi 's turn . What will Modi say ? World leaders tend to have a wonderful way of exaggerating friendships in public . Everyone is a best friend , a special relation , an age-old ally . Even so , in politics , rhetoric is important ; it is certainly a first step toward repairing relations . In fact , one of the goals of Kerry 's visit is to lay the groundwork for an even more important visit : when Modi visits the United States in September and meets Obama . There , too , one can expect all the rhetorical niceties of political getting-to-know-one-another . But very soon both sides will also want to see deliverables . That 's where things might get tricky . The Carnegie Endowment 's Milan Vaishnav says Indo-U.S. ties `` will improve or deteriorate based on the performance of India 's economy . '' As Vaishnav describes it , the U.S. -- unlike Japan , for example -- does not have a large pool of government money to invest in India ; the real money needs to come from private investors , over which Washington has little control . The key , then , will be whether India can make itself an attractive destination to grow money . Can India become an easier place to do business ? Can it truly open up the way many other Asian nations have ? Can it finally live up to expectations ? According to one survey by the networking site LinkedIn , no other country 's business leaders are as positive about the global economy as India 's . Some 71 % of senior business leaders in India expect an improvement in the global economy , up from 51 % before Modi was elected in May . By comparison , only 44 % of American business leaders and 26 % of French business leaders are positive about the world economy . India 's business leaders smell opportunity and success . Modi 's challenge will be to convert that bullishness into results . Some are wondering whether he 's been too slow off the blocks . A Bloomberg View editorial says `` optimism over Modi is evaporating fast . '' The Indian Express columnist Pratap Bhanu Mehta wonders whether Modi 's government has already lost a sense of credible control . One particularly vexing example is India 's handling of the World Trade Organization talks . While most economists agree on the need for speeding up global trade , India -- supported by the likes of Bolivia , Cuba and Venezuela -- emerged as an unlikely roadblock to a global deal last week , seeking instead to retain the ability to stockpile and subsidize grain . Analysts say it was likely a play by Modi to secure farmers ' support in rural India . Behind the scenes , Kerry will no doubt pressure Modi to reverse his stance . It may turn out to be yet another hurdle in the relationship . Ultimately , however , Modi 's No . 1 priority will be to grow India 's economy , and that does n't hinge solely on foreign investment . Great gains are to be made in cutting red tape , tackling corruption and creating jobs to tap the vast growth potential of India 's youthful population . If Modi succeeds in that task , the greatest beneficiaries will of course be Indians but it will also create a rising tide , lifting the United States and the rest of the world . Kerry will know all too well that what is good for Modi and India , will likely be good for Washington as well . At a time when all the world seems like a mess , there are few losers -- and many winners -- if the world 's two biggest democracies make nice and hit the reset button .
U.S. secretary of state is visiting India in hopes of improving relations . Ravi Shankar : John Kerry is rightly focused on economic development , including trade . Real test of improved trade will be in the development of India 's economy , he says . Agrawal : World 's two biggest economies should work together .