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VOL. 7, ISSUE 4 (2022)
India's QUAD participation and strategic Autonomy: A critical assessment of Minilateral Security Frameworks in Indo-Pacific Geopolitics
Authors
Mukesh Kumar Yadav
Abstract
India's involvement in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue represents a significant yet contested development in Indo-Pacific geopolitical arrangements. While Western analyses frequently characterize QUAD as a mechanism for constraining Chinese regional dominance, Indian strategic conceptualizations emphasize autonomy maintenance and strategic flexibility. This evidence synthesis examines 74 peer-reviewed publications (2007-2025) to assess how scholarly literature characterizes India's QUAD engagement, constraints limiting India's exclusive participation, and institutional factors affecting minilateral framework sustainability. The synthesis reveals substantial divergence between Western alliance-centered interpretations and Indian hedging-focused approaches. Analysis of strategic documents and policy publications identifies India as conceptualizing QUAD participation through four distinct strategic objectives: maritime security advancement, technological sovereignty protection, capacity enhancement, and multipolarity maintenance. Qualitative thematic analysis across included publications consistently identifies five constraints limiting India's exclusive QUAD alignment: economic interdependence with China, regional preferences for great-power neutrality in Southeast Asia, Pakistan-focused security priorities, strategic relationships with Russia, and philosophical commitment to multipolarity. Comparative institutional analysis of minilateral frameworks reveals that successful arrangements (Five Power Defense Arrangements) maintain operational focus and respect member autonomy, while failed arrangements (SEATO) imposed ideological commitments exceeding member interests. The synthesis demonstrates that QUAD sustainability depends on institutional evolution accommodating India's autonomy requirements rather than demanding subordination to alliance coherence. Policy recommendations emerging from reviewed literature suggest that reframing QUAD as rules-based governance forum rather than explicit containment alliance would strengthen India's participation while addressing Southeast Asian concerns regarding great-power exclusivity. Findings establish that understanding India's strategic perspective represents a prerequisite for realistic assessment of QUAD's trajectory and Indo-Pacific institutional development.
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Pages:107-111
How to cite this article:
Mukesh Kumar Yadav "India's QUAD participation and strategic Autonomy: A critical assessment of Minilateral Security Frameworks in Indo-Pacific Geopolitics". International Journal of Advanced Education and Research, Vol 7, Issue 4, 2022, Pages 107-111
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