Washington, July 14 - A US South Asia expert suggests that the Indian budget would perhaps limit the country's ascension to a global economic force and could limit the value of India-US partnership for Washington.

As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has noted in advance of her trip to India, the US has an important stake in Indian success, writes Derek Scissors, research fellow in Asia Economic Policy at The Heritage Foundation.

'As its clout on the world stage increases, India can play a stabilising role in the broader Asia region, partnering with the US on a range of issues including maritime cooperation, nuclear non-proliferation, education, science, and defence trade,' he writes.

'India also serves as a powerful example of a successful democracy in the developing world. On the economic side, unlike many of its Asian counterparts, India is consumption-driven, not export-driven.

'Its growth and greater prosperity therefore offer outstanding opportunities for American agriculture, industry, and services,' he says. 'The flip side of America's stake in India is that America loses when India takes a step backward.'

That seems to have happened with the anxiously awaited Indian government budget for the next fiscal year, which puts political gain over long-term economic progress, Scissors suggested.