THE QUAD

 China dismissed the idea that an international coalition against it will emerge , saying "that day will never , ever come ". But, thanks to China's aggressive exapansionism and renegade actions,

That day is coming, with the QUAD likely to be at the core of a broader international coalition . China has fuelled the Quad's development,with its military aggression in Ladakh helping to move india closer into this strategic grouping 

It is precisely this border aggression that has lent  new momentum to the Quad's evolution towards a concrete formal security arrangement. India holds the key to the Quad's Direction and future because the US. Australia and Japan already are tied by bilateral and trilateral security alliances among themselves.

Shocked by China's furtive territorial encroachments in ladakh, India shed it's reticence and undertook several steps, including concluding, mutual logistics support accord with Australia and Japan,signing the last of four "foundational" agreements that the US maintains with all its close defence partner, and playing host to.the first ever Quad military drill by letting Australia rejoin the malabar exercise. Boosting broader military interoperability, india is now participating quad plus naval.exercise auch as Sea Dragon that involved Canada and the upcoming with France.

With India's closer integration, the quad is beginning to blossom. However there is no plan to turn the quad into a military alliance, let alone an indo-pacific version of NATO . Infact the QUAD members security intrest are not entirely congruent. The security threats china poses is much more acute and immediate for India and to some extent , japan than for distant US and Australia.

The quad--like the US Indo-pacific policy is focused on the maritime domain . But the ongoing Himalayan military standoff at the multiple points highlight China's land based threat against India.The only quad memeber which shares land border to china is india

Indeed the US never considered about land war against China. America's main objective is non military to counter China's geopolitical, ideological and economic challenges to its global pre-eminence.

Against this background, public discourse in India shouldn't get ahead of the operational and functional instruments of strategic collaboration.

The QUAD can not mitigate India's security challenges . India must deal with Chinese belligerence  essentially on its own. To be sure, the china -india power asymmetry is widening. But aggregate military and economic capabilities alone fo not determine any war's  outcome . History is replete with examples of the weaker side vanquishing the stronger opponent indias with the world most experienced army in hybrid mountain warfare focuses on defence which is easier than offence. Recognising India's battle hardened air and ground forces, China has sought to achieve its territorial and objective by stealth. India's main weakness  which puts it's perennially at recieving end , is arisk averse political and military leadership.

Still it is imperative that the quad gain strategic heft so as  tobring an expansionist China under pressure. Bike operating in military economic and technological realms and coordinating their response to China aggressive action the quad members can put discrete checks on the unbridled exercise of Chinese power. India by working closely with the other quad member on matters of mutual interest will be able to punch above it economic and military weight.