Reports & Papers
EP 63 | India’s Manufacturing Strategy of Multi-Plants | Policy Beyond Politics
August 28, 2025
BRICS in the Evolving Global Order: Geopolitical Challenges and Adopting New Strategies in the Trump Era | FNF Policy Paper
September 18, 2025QUAD After Trump: India’s Role in Fostering Regional Security | FNF Policy Paper
Author: Gazi Hassan
The policy paper, “QUAD after Trump: India’s Role in Fostering Regional Security,” analyzes India’s strategic position within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), a strategic alliance between India, the United States, Japan, and Australia, in the evolving geopolitical context of Donald Trump’s second presidential term.
With the Indo-Pacific region gaining prominence as a center of global trade and security dynamics, the study focuses on India’s role in fostering regional stability amid rising Chinese assertiveness and shifting U.S. foreign policy priorities. India’s geographic centrality in the Indian Ocean and its expanding naval capabilities make it a natural maritime leader in the Indo-Pacific. Given China’s aggressive posturing in the region, especially through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and military expansion at critical chokepoints, India perceives a growing threat to its security and strategic autonomy. In response, India has strengthened bilateral and multilateral ties, notably by building relations with South Asian littoral nations and by joining the QUAD, to promote a Free and Open Indo-Pacific operating on the basis of the rule of law, respect for sovereignty, and maritime freedom.
Under Trump’s renewed leadership, referred to as “Trump 2.0”, the U.S. has reiterated its commitment to the QUAD but with a more transactional approach, emphasizing burden-sharing among allies. While this reflects continuity in American security policy in the region, it introduces strategic uncertainties. The Trump administration’s emphasis on defense cooperation, including the reinvigoration of alliances like AUKUS (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America), signals a robust security posture. However, this increased militarization raises concerns about regional polarization, necessitating careful coordination within the QUAD to maintain strategic balance.
India’s participation in the QUAD allows it not only to balance China but also to secure its strategic influence while asserting its role as a key stakeholder in regional security. India’s strategy involves economic partnerships, infrastructural development, and defense cooperation, particularly with countries in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Initiatives such as SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) demonstrate India’s broader commitment to ensuring maritime security, disaster resilience, and inclusive development. SAGAR acts as a counter to China’s BRI by emphasizing transparency and regional collaboration.
The paper explores how India’s engagement has expanded beyond its traditional sphere of influence. Strategic outreach to the Gulf, African coastlines, and Indo-Pacific island nations underlines India’s growing global influence and the recognition of its leadership in maritime security and sustainable development. The creation of new diplomatic missions across Africa and partnerships with the EU and ASEAN further emphasize India’s multidimensional approach to fostering regional order. While India’s economic and strategic interests are increasingly aligned with those of the QUAD members, its balancing act with China remains complex. India has to navigate deep economic ties with Beijing while countering its territorial ambitions, particularly across the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC).
In conclusion, the paper explores India’s active role in the QUAD and its broader Indo-Pacific outreach, positioning it as a pivotal actor in shaping the future of regional security. India’s growing capabilities, strategic engagements, and leadership in multilateral forums reinforce its emergence as a credible Indo-Pacific power, essential for long-term stability and prosperity in the region.
The paper was originally published by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
Gazi Hassan is a Research Scholar (International Relations) at the Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), Kochi, India.
Views expressed by the authors are personal and need not reflect or represent the views of the Centre for Public Policy Research.
