Aggressive but not suicidal vs the Nimzo-Indian

I'm an 1.e4 player but I'd switch to 1.d4 if I had an aggressive answer against the NID. I'd like to castle queenside like in the QGD exchange variation, but I'm not sure if that is posible here. I already have aggressive responses to the other main defences (f3 Grunfeld, Samisch KID, Flick-Knife MB...) but I hve no idea what to play against the NID and so complete my 1d4 repertoire. Any tips?

I avoided the Nimzo for a long time because I couldn't find anything that worked against it.  Now I play 4 Nf3.  Play often transposes to English, Benoni, Queen's Gambit, or Queen's Indian type positions.  Putting another minor piece in play seems good in principle.

I think I can't play 4.Nf3 if I want to play a proper Exchange Variation in the Queen's Gambit Declined. Is that so?

I'd very much appreciate your help because that's an strategic decision for my whole repertoire. Thx.

What line do you want to play in the QGD exchange?

There is a fun line with 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.a3. I have played it a lot,it is not that good but avoids all Bxc3 stuff

If you play Nge2 in the QGD then you'll probably have to go with 3.Nc3 and face the Nimzo. If you play Nf3 in the QGD then you might be able to play 3.Nf3 but then you'll have to be ready to face the Queen's and Bogo Indians.

As you already play the Sämisch KID and the f3 Grünfeld the 4.f3 Nimzo might be something worth checking out.

I don't mind Nge2 or Nf3 if I can play 0-0-0 and avoid an early sortie of light squares black bishop

Actually 3.Nf3 probably won't work for you because of 3..c5 and you won't get your flick knife Benoni.

I guess you'll have to play 3.Nc3 and have something ready for the Nimzo.

4.a3 is aggressive but it's not great. 4.f3 would be my suggestion, or possibly 4.Qc2, which can get tactical. I heard 4.Bg5 is sharp as well but its not as common.

Between 4.f3, 4.Qc2 and 4.Bg5 where white has more options of ending up with long  castling ?

none of them, lol.

Long castling in Nimzo indian for white, well u have to face Bxc3 and other things at queen side...

So Qc2 may be the oly try for that, but most games are played on a positionnal ground...

U cannot do always the same things, u can play sharp with short castle too... 4.f3 seems a good idea for that.

You could do worse than learn from one of the greatest games ever played, Botvinnik-Capablanca 1938. That's the advice Mark Taimanov took when he learned to play against the Nimzo. 

Poucin's idea of f3 followed by a timely e4 is one that is both simple and to the point. Whoever controls the e4 square in the Nimzo-Indian usually wins the opening battle. Yeah, there are variations that cede the e4 square to white, but those are usually pretty complex and unusual. 

Take a look at the great game below. Botvinnik outplayed the great Capablanca in a strategic battle!

Despite all the good advice already given I can't helping pointing you towards Lars Schandorff's "Playing 1.d4 The Indian Defences" (Quality Chess 2012). It corresponds nicely with most of your other chosen options.

For some reason I don't seem to be allowed to post a link to the publisher, but google will help you just as fast...

The Botvinnik- Capa game is a fine example on how even top players can go wrong in complex strategical battles.

Kasparov analysing the game:

1. Claims that 11.Bxa6 is not the best choice, and suggests 11.f3. This has been tested several times at top level, and Black is doing quite well after 11...Re8 12.Ng3 Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Nc6.

2. Awards 12.Bb2 with a fat question mark and the comment "pioneers are doomed to making mistakes". The bishop there obviously is not terribly active...

3. Awards another fat question mark to 13...Rfe8, since this does not stop white's central expansion, and says that Black has the advantage after 13...cxd4! 14.cxd4 Rfc8. This was played in an early fine correspondence game, which I will post skipping the coyrighted comments.

To sum up: Try understanding the positional ideas behind the opening moves. Even the best variations can turn out being very bad if you are clueless and handle them poorly!

Black is mighty OK in all Nimzoindian variations- so, just pick one of them and try understanding what you play, and why. You can't expect applying a QGD exchange plan in a fundamentally different opening- chess is not played like that...

Less work of all available variations? Probably 4.Bg5- AKA the Leningrad, a former Spassky speciality. Still, not easy to handle, both sides involved. I think Black is doing fine, but this is of minor importance.

Btw, in case you couldn't tell from the comments, Schandorff recommends the same thing I just did: "follow the Patriarch" (Botvinnik). 

Here's a link to a pdf sample provided by the publishers:

http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/products/1/151/playing_1d4_-_the_indian_defences_by_lars_schandorff/

Does he?

Against Black's most common reply, 4.e3 0-0, he suggests the 5.Ne2 line (IMHO mighty harmless, but this is another story).

Can you please show me some games where Botvinnik played 5.Ne2?

To my poor knowledge, they are just two, and the Patriarch surely was not so proud about them...

Even if theoretically equal there is a lot of strategic unbalance in the 4a3\4f3 lines. For example, see Anand's game against Wang in the candidates profile below

https://www.chess.com/article/view/candidate-profile-viswanathan-anand

Presumably Anand's 16Nd4 has been neutralised by now. Personally wasn't even aware of the game, until read article. In club player chess think this line would be even more dangerous.

Nothing has been neutralized. Wang simply forgot theory, and messsed things up- white is much better after 16.Nd4.

The right move is Alex Delchev's 15...Na6!, where Black is fine. I have played this myself in a correspondence game, and snatched a completely unexpected full point.

I was puzzled after the game, but my opponent told me he has examined & analysed the blunder 23.Nf6+ anticipating the other rook been played at b8! In that case it would have been very good...