Q. Examine the significance of the 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting for India’s foreign policy priorities in the Indo-Pacific. How does the Quad shape India's regional and global positioning?

 

GS Paper II – International Relations

Q. Examine the significance of the 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting for India’s foreign policy priorities in the Indo-Pacific. How does the Quad shape India's regional and global positioning?

 

Answer Framework

Introduction (30–40 words)

Start with a current affairs-based hook:

The 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting (FMM) in Washington reaffirmed the group’s commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. For India, it marks a strategic consolidation of multilateral cooperation on terrorism, maritime security, and supply chain resilience.

 

Body

1. India’s Foreign Policy Objectives Reflected in the Meeting

Objective	Evidence from FMM 2025
Counterterrorism	Joint condemnation of Pahalgam attacks; support for bringing perpetrators to justice
Rules-based maritime order	Concern over militarisation and coercive tactics in South China Sea
Strategic autonomy	Absence of reference to Ukraine/Israel-Gaza shows India's influence on narrowing agenda
Regional stability	Focus on Indo-Pacific, avoiding ideological positioning

 

2. Strategic Importance of Quad for India

• Geopolitical leverage: Enhances India’s voice on regional issues without direct confrontation
• Defence diplomacy: Observer missions, maritime dialogues build inter-operability
• Multilateral balancing: Acts as a hedge against aggressive China without forming a formal alliance
• Institutional legitimacy: Backing from like-minded democracies strengthens India’s credibility

 

3. Limitations and Challenges

• Quad remains informal and non-binding
• Risk of Chinese retaliation through grey-zone tactics in the IOR
• Divergent interests of Quad members in other theatres (e.g., Russia, Middle East)

 

 Conclusion (30–40 words)

The Quad FMM 2025 reinforces India’s strategic doctrine of multi-alignment and regional leadership. Its evolving role in the Indo-Pacific is central to India’s ambition of becoming a net security provider and economic anchor in the region.