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    COVER STORY                                                              JUNE 05, 2026     |  The Indian Eye                    5

            recycling and investment related to                                                                   litical  sensitivities surrounding the
            critical minerals and rare earths. The                                                                Quad’s expansion. Critics in some
            framework aims to strengthen resil-                                                                   regions continue to view the group-
            ient and diversified supply chains be-                                                                ing through the lens of strategic com-
            tween the two countries.                                                                              petition and bloc politics. The Quad
                The agreement also builds on In-                                                                  countries have consistently empha-
            dia’s growing integration into wider                                                                  sized  that  the  grouping  supports  a
            US-led strategic economic initiatives.                                                                free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific
            India had already joined the Pax Sil-                                                                 rather than confrontation. Never-
            ica initiative and partnered with the                                                                 theless, managing perceptions while
            United States under the Forum on                                                                      maintaining strategic coordination
            Resource Geostrategic Engagement                                                                      remains a delicate balancing act.
            initiative. These developments indi-                                                                      Energy security presents its own
            cate how New Delhi is increasingly                                                                    complexities. The Quad’s concern
            positioning itself within emerging                                                                    over disruptions in oil, gas and pet-
            strategic technology and resource                                                                     rochemical  markets  reflects  vulner-
            architectures shaped by democratic        Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio    abilities that cannot be solved solely
            coalitions.                                         in New Delhi (@narendramodi X/ANI Photo)          through coordination mechanisms.
                The broader significance of the                                                                   Global  energy systems  remain sus-
            Quad meeting lies in how the group-  a platform for cooperation among   While  all  share  concerns  about  ceptible to conflicts, maritime disrup-
            ing has expanded its agenda over   like-minded  countries.  This  flexibil-  maintaining a stable Indo-Pacific or-  tions and market shocks. The Strait
            time. Initially revived with strong   ity  aligns with India’s longstanding   der, their economic dependencies,  of Hormuz, specifically highlighted in
            focus on maritime security and In-  strategic autonomy while allowing it   security calculations and diplomatic  the joint statement, continues to be
            do-Pacific stability, the Quad now en-  to benefit from closer technological,   approaches are not identical. India,  one of the world’s most strategically
            gages in issues ranging from vaccines   economic and security cooperation.  for instance, continues to emphasize  sensitive maritime chokepoints.
            and infrastructure to technology, cy-  At the same time, the Quad’s   strategic autonomy and has histori-  Domestic political changes with-
            ber security, supply chains and ener-  evolution demonstrates how geopol-  cally been cautious about formal bloc  in member countries could also af-
            gy security. The New Delhi summit   itics is increasingly shaped by eco-  politics. Japan and Australia main-  fect the Quad’s trajectory. Strategic
            reinforced this trend by highlighting   nomics  and technology rather than   tain treaty alliances with the United  priorities often shift with leadership
            vulnerabilities in global oil, gas and   conventional  military  arrangements   States, while India  follows an  inde-  transitions and changing economic
            petrochemical markets and their im-  alone. Supply chains, critical min-  pendent foreign policy tradition.  pressures. Sustaining long-term co-
            plications for Indo-Pacific stability.  erals, energy corridors and digital   Economic realities also com-  ordination among four democracies
                The decision to convene a Quad   infrastructure  have  become  central   plicate efforts to restructure supply  with distinct political systems and do-
            Fuel Security Forum demonstrated   theatres of strategic competition.   chains. Building  alternative  critical  mestic debates  requires  continuous
            the grouping’s recognition that en-  The Quad’s focus on these areas in-  minerals networks requires enor-  diplomatic effort.
            ergy disruptions can rapidly become   dicates recognition that future power   mous investment, technological ex-  Yet despite these challenges, the
            geopolitical crises. The proposed fo-  balances will depend heavily on tech-  pertise and long-term policy coordi-  New Delhi meeting showed that the
            rum will coordinate cooperation on   nological resilience and economic   nation. Many existing global supply  Quad is steadily evolving into a more
            strategic petroleum systems, emer-  security.                       chains remain deeply interconnected  consequential geopolitical platform.
            gency response exercises and region-  However, despite the momen-   and difficult to replace quickly. Pro-  Its agenda now spans strategic miner-
            al energy resilience. The emphasis on   tum generated by the New Delhi   cessing infrastructure for rare earths  als, energy resilience, industrial sup-
            uninterrupted  trade  flows  through   meeting,  significant  challenges  re-  and strategic minerals remains con-  ply chains and technology partner-
            critical maritime routes, including   main for the Quad.            centrated in limited regions, making  ships — areas that increasingly define
            the Strait of Hormuz, highlighted     One major challenge lies in bal-  diversification  both  expensive  and  global influence in the modern era.
            concerns about instability affecting   ancing the differing strategic priori-  time-consuming.            The  Quad’s  growing  relevance
            global energy transportation net-  ties of the four member countries.   There are also broader geopo-  lies not merely in military coordina-
            works.                                                                                                tion but in its attempt to build resil-
                The growing importance of the                                                                     ient systems across economics, tech-
            Quad in global geopolitics is closely                                                                 nology and energy. In doing so, the
            linked to broader shifts in the inter-                                                                grouping reflects the changing nature
            national order. The Indo-Pacific has                                                                  of geopolitics itself. The New Delhi
            become the center of global econom-                                                                   summit demonstrated that the Quad
            ic activity as well as strategic compe-                                                               is no longer simply a consultative di-
            tition. The Quad countries collec-                                                                    alogue. It is gradually becoming an
            tively represent significant economic,                                                                instrument through which major de-
            technological and military capabil-                                                                   mocracies seek to shape the strategic
            ities. Their increasing coordination                                                                  architecture of the Indo-Pacific.
            reflects  attempts  to  shape  regional                                                                   Whether the grouping can over-
            rules, maintain supply chain security                                                                 come its internal differences and
            and ensure stability in vital sea lanes.                                                              implementation challenges will de-
                For India in particular, the Quad                                                                 termine how influential it ultimately
            offers multiple strategic advantages.                                                                 becomes. But the direction is unmis-
            It  allows  New  Delhi  to  deepen co-                                                                takable. The Quad has moved from
            operation with advanced industrial                                                                    symbolism to strategy, from shared
            democracies without formally en-                                                                      concerns to structured  cooperation.
            tering a military alliance structure.   External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chairs the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with US,   The New Delhi meeting highlighted
            India has consistently maintained       Australia and Japan counterparts, in New Delhi (@DrSJaishankar X/ANI Photo)  both the promise and the complexi-
            that the Quad is not an alliance but                                                                  ties of that transformation.

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