Introduction
India’s foreign policy has expanded in scope, especially through its closer ties with the United States (U.S.) and active participation in U.S.-led forums like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a strategic grouping with Australia and Japan that addresses key issues in the Indo-Pacific. The term “Indo-Pacific,” introduced by the U.S. State Department, reflects Washington’s strategic focus on both the Pacific and Indian Oceans and extends the Obama-era “Pivot to Asia” strategy, underscoring India’s central role within it. Although not explicitly articulated in official briefings, the Quad’s underlying objective is to counterbalance China’s rising global and regional influence.
India’s role in the Quad gained prominence after June 2020 when China’s aggression along the India-China border in the Himalayas led India to seek U.S. military and intelligence support. However, despite this closer cooperation, India has consistently resisted pressure to convert the Quad into a formal security or military alliance. While the U.S., with its significant agential power based on superior military and economic resources, may favor a more structured military alignment to counterbalance China, India has maintained a flexible approach. Rather than allowing the Quad to become a military-centric forum, India influences its agenda to ensure it addresses a broader range of non-traditional issues, such as climate action, cybersecurity, and infrastructure development. By framing the terms of engagement around strategic autonomy, developmental cooperation, and the avoidance of formal military alliances, India strategically navigates its partnership with the U.S., exercising relational power to protect its own interests while contributing to the broader regional order.
