Without reading the article - realpolitik. They’re a sort-of-aligned possible substitute for China, that’s it.

Because he’s still a world leader of a country that produces a lot of the world’s goods and is a nuclear power to boot and Democrats, unlike Republicans, don’t burn bridges in order to seek a headline on Fox News that will last for only a week.

Because India’s cooperation is vital for containing Russia, which exceptionally keen observers may note is causing a bit of trouble at the moment. One crisis at a time, please.

Since the author is asking a question, I’ll answer it: it’s called soft power. And, the US does it, not “Democrats.” It’s the same reason we play nice with people like Erdogan, MBS, and Orban.

That said, it would be nice if we had better options but at least we’re not praising Kim and Putin anymore.