I actually want to repeat this point as I think it's important. There is no place where you can better take advanatge of elite status than on international upgrades. If you are going to fly to India twice a year or more then you should strongly consider changing your domestic carrier to best support your international flying patterns.

This might be different if you were in a market like DFW where a change in carrier from AA would mean lots of extra connections for domestic travel. You live in SFO, though, where you have SFO as a UA focus city and SJC as an AA focus city. You have choices.

Of course, if they'll let you buy business class, then all the advice is reversed. Fly an international carrier that best supports your domestic flying patterns as you won't get nearly the bang for the buck using your status on paid J tickets.