National Security Conversations

Happymon Jacob speaks with Commander Abhijit Singh (Head of Maritime Policy Initiative, ORF) about the Indo-Pacific region and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD). How does India view the Indo-Pacific region and what is its maritime strategy to maintain control over it? How do various actors involved, i.e. China, US, Australia view this region? Is India soft pedalling the QUAD? Why has India shied away from militarising the QUAD? How central is China’s growing military presence in the Indian Ocean and its overt aggression in the South China Sea, to the aims and objectives of the QUAD? Has India done enough to hedge against Chinese advances in the Western Indian Ocean? What should be India’s grand strategic thinking vis-à-vis Chinese naval advancement and incursions in the Indo-Pacific?