The Informal QUAD Alliance: A New Balance of Power in the Indo-Pacific?

In the last 30 years, India has effected a major transformation in defining its international identity, which is the main reason behind the intensification of India’s relations with Australia, Japan and U.S. – the so-called “QUAD”. Whereas in 1985, India perceived itself as a South Asian power and a developing country, in 2015 it tied its identity to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific regions and considers itself an Indo-Pacific regional power. New Delhi now strives to expand its spheres of influence and limit the ability of external powers (especially China) to expand their political, military and economic influence in India’s neighborhood or prevent it altogether. At the same time, we are witnessing a process of broadening the notion of ‘neighbourhood’ in Indian strategy and foreign policy, as evidenced by, among others, the concept of ‘extended neighbourhood’ and the Act East Policy. The aim of the seminar is to analyze the evolution of India’s international strategy in the region of the Indo-Pacific, especially in the context of new dynamics in relations with the “QUAD”.