India and the QUAD

Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is an informal association of India, the United States, Australia, and Japan. The group met for the first time in 2007 on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

• Objective of the QUAD Ministerial Meeting
• To develop one mechanism, one architecture that complements and supplements, other formats to promote the free and open Indo-Pacific.
• To discuss collective efforts in group’s shared commitments and close cooperation on counter terrorism, mentoring, assistance in disaster relief, airtime security, cooperation, development, finance and cybersecurity efforts.

Significance of QUAD

• To stabilise transition of power in the Indo-Pacific: epicenter of global politics from the trans-Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific marked by America’s relative decline and the rise of China. India, Japan, and Australia are at the center of this strategic flux in the Indo-Pacific therefore making QUAD a geo-political reality.
• Grouping of democracies: broader agenda encompassing civilian security and technology issues
• Natural progression: trilateral initiatives between the 4 countries eg Malabar Exercise etc have potential to transform into a ‘quad’ of democracies in the Indo-Pacific region.
• QUAD- A counter to China: China’s growing unilateralism to reduce the regional imbalance by banding together.  
• Focus on countering violent extremism and deeper coordination on counterterrorism
• Recognising India’s role:as a net security provider in the region and a global actor and India's contribution as vital to the safeguarding of a rules-based system in the Indo-Pacific region. 
• Recognising ASEAN Centrality: in South East Asia. way to leverage its support and make the ongoing deliberations on alternative security architecture more dynamic.  

Significance for India

• Balancing China’s influence: If Chinese hostilities rise on the borders, India can take the support of the other Quad nations.
• India is working with Quad partners to offer alternatives to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a project that undermines India’s territorial sovereignty and regional primacy.
• Rising importance of Indo-Pacific: Due to its favorable topographical location and peninsular geography, India has widespread trade and cultural connections with the Indo-Pacific littorals.
• QUAD provides India with a powerful platform to advance East Asia’s interests and further strengthen its Act East policy. It promotes inclusivity in the region by participating in various forums like Asia Africa Growth Corridor, Indian Ocean Commission etc
• Evolving Foreign policy strategy: Aligning with like-minded countries without making a formal alliance or discounting its relationship with countries outside Quad is a hallmark of India’s evolving foreign policy strategy.
• Supplementing India’s defense capabilities: through joint patrols, exchange of strategic information, etc. can help India overcome its limitations pertaining to finances, naval capacity, military reconnaissance, and technological and surveillance capabilities.
• Additional collaboration on emerging threats: in the cyber, space and maritime domains to enhance surveillance and deterrence. All four states have been the subject of extensive and persistent cyberattacks emanating from nation-state-supported institutions, notably from China.

Challenges for Quad

• Acquiring a narrow dimension: focus on militaristic zeal to secure the Indo-Pacific from Chinese unilateral aggression is making QUAD overladen with Chinese narrative. 
• Unclear agenda: lacks a coherent purpose, strategic objective and an institutional framework.
• China’s influence: China has strong economic ties with Quad members, especially Australia, which can be used to coerce or influence nations in its favour.
• Different capabilities and burden sharing: Members do not have the same levels of financial resources, strategic awareness and military capabilities in the Indian Ocean. This creates an imbalanced partnership where burden falls unequally on partners.
• Possibility of antagonizing China: China perceives Quad as an Anti-China coalition. Thus, India faces a risk of further deteriorating its relations with China as its proceeds to increase its engagement with the Quad
• Differences in priorities: Within the Indo-Pacific, Australia’s and Japan’s priorities lie in the Pacific, while India is primarily focused in the Indian Ocean.
• Implication on India’s other bilateral/multilateral engagements: Recently, China argued that by moving closer to the US and the US-led Quad in recent years India has worsened India-China and India-Russia relations and halted progress in the development of BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
• Unresolved issues
• Countering COVID and a Vaccine initiative: India’s proposal at the WTO still blocked, and India has blocked giving indemnity to US vaccines.
• Climate Change issues: India has worked with Quad countries on the Solar Alliance, Paris Accord etc., but has not yet signed on to Net Zero and ending coal deadline.
• Critical Technologies and Resilient Supply Chains: While India is keen on building alternate supply chains especially on technologies with partners keen to end dependence on China, it is not part of the Osaka track, that includes other Quad countries, when it comes to cross border data flows
• Conflicting signals from US: Even as the agenda for the Quad meeting is being evolved, the US announced a new trilateral defence partnership with Australia and the UK (AUKUS) leaving friends and allies mystified.
• Divergence on acceptable risks and costs:  existence or absence of direct territorial disputes with China, perceptions of the potential risks of retaliation by Beijing, other higher order national priorities and threats, and finally the limitations of each nation’s strategic culture

Way Ahead

• Re-purposing of QUAD’s Agenda: develop its own priority list for how best to elevate democracy and civilian security in its own consultative agenda.
• Beyond maritime cooperation and more generally military-to-military cooperation
• Initiatives like the Indo-Pacific business forum could be expanded and alternative institutions like Indo-Pacific Bank or Indo-Pacific infrastructure investment agency could be contemplated
• develop a track focused on emerging technologies, and security as the internet/digital economy has introduced new questions for regional and global governance.
• India needs to be innovative in dealing with challenges and leveraging opportunities that arrangements like the Quad present.
• It can also play an important role in shaping the future trajectory of Sino-Indian relations.
• Collective action: Collective security among the Quad nations to safeguard the member nations’ freedom and security. Quad grouping with a combined pre-pandemic GDP of USD 30 trillion and a combined defence budget of USD 800 billion can counter China easily
• Need for clear vision: Quad nations need to explain the Indo-Pacific Vision in an overarching framework to advance everyone’s economic and security interests. This will reassure the littoral States that the presence of QUAD benefits the region.
• Expanding the Quad: India has many other partners in the Indo-Pacific. Therefore, India should pitch for countries like Indonesia, Singapore to be invited to join the Quad in the future.
• Need for a Maritime Doctrine: India should develop a comprehensive vision on the Indo-Pacific, which would ideate on the current and future maritime challenges, consolidate its military and non-military tools; and, engage its strategic partners.

Quad members should collaborate and build a positive agenda that is built around collective action in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, monitoring shipping for search and rescue or anti-piracy operations, infrastructure assistance, connectivity initiatives etc. This will help address inhibitions of China as well as be a step forward in building an institutional framework.

Also cooperating with other regional partners, including ASEAN, East African littoral nations, France, the UK, Pacific Island nations etc. and forums such as the BIMSTEC, Indian Ocean Commission and the Indian Ocean Rim Association can further strengthen the global position of Quad as a group.