Modi's Playbook For Quad: Shaming Pakistan, Countering China And Dismissing Trump
Indian foreign policy was long characterised by a cautious balancing act, a legacy of non-alignment that prioritised strategic autonomy, sometimes at the cost of decisive articulation. Today, that playbook is being rewritten by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team. For instance, take the joint statement released after the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting on July 1 in Washington DC, which signals something more direct: a clear articulation of India's strategic priorities and, crucially, its success in embedding them within a vital international partnership that is emerging as a force to reckon with in the Indo Pacific.
India's approach at QUAD reveals a multi-pronged strategy focused on three reinforcing fronts:
First, building a substantive and institutional counter to China's expansionist ambitions in the Indo Pacific.
Second, securing explicit international support against cross-border terrorism in light of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's audacious military campaign against Pakistan.
And third, reinforcing its autonomy on internal matters by rejecting external interference. This, in light of President Donald Trump's rather persistent efforts to rehyphenate India with Pakistan following the success of Operation Sindoor.
The QUAD joint statement marks the most significant step yet in dismantling this outdated and dangerous framework. In what should be considered a landmark diplomatic outcome for New Delhi, the statement 'unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism…including cross-border terrorism." This specific phrase has long been a cornerstone of Indian diplomatic lexicon. It formally acknowledges the state-sponsored nature of the threat India faces, shifting the global narrative from a vague 'dispute" to a recognised act of aggression directed from beyond its borders – often at the behest of religious zealots who command and control the Pakistani military.
In fact, prior to the meeting, Dr Jaishankar told international media that 'victims and perpetrators (of terrorism) must never be equated" and that India 'will exercise" its right to self-defence. This is significant, given that US Secretary of State and Trump's national security adviser, Marco Rubio was standing right behind the Indian foreign minister when these remarks were made. This was India making it clear – not-so-subtly I might add – that any efforts to hyphenate India with Pakistan will not just be rejected diplomatically, but also provoke a robust and unapologetic response from New Delhi. In other words, India has drawn a red line: there should be no equivalence between a nation battling cross-border terrorism and the one perpetuating it.
Effectively, India articulated a policy of proactive defence that is now implicitly understood by its most powerful partners.
A Rules-Based Order for the Indo-Pacific
While successfully confronting its immediate threats, India has not lost sight of the larger strategic picture. The primary mandate of the Quad has always been the Indo-Pacific and keeping it 'free and open." This is a euphemism for creating a stable and lawful order in the face of China's increasing assertiveness.
The statement voices strong opposition to 'any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion" and details 'serious concern about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea." It has condemned China's 'dangerous and provocative actions," including the use of 'maritime militia vessels" and 'interference with offshore resource development."
For India, this is a strategic imperative. A free and open Indo-Pacific is essential for its trade, energy security, and to prevent strategic encirclement – which has long been China's motive. By anchoring the Quad's position in international law, specifically UNCLOS, India and its partners are building a framework of legitimacy to challenge Beijing's 'might is right" approach. Tangible initiatives, like the 'Quad Critical Minerals Initiative" to counter the weaponisation of supply chains and the 'Quad Ports of the Future Partnership in Mumbai," position India as a central hub in a tangible alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative. Moreover, the coast guard of the four QUAD nations have also begun joint drills in the region. The message to China could not be clearer.
Dismissing Unsolicited Advice: The Kashmir Question
The third pillar of India's confident diplomacy is the quiet but firm assertion of absolute sovereignty. On issues like Kashmir, where figures like Donald Trump have been seen making unsolicited offers of mediation, India's policy remains consistent and non-negotiable: it is an internal matter, period.
India recognises that Trump's periodic offers are driven less by a nuanced understanding of the subcontinent's geopolitics and more by domestic political compulsions. In an increasingly volatile world where American influence has struggled to defuse raging conflicts – whether it be the brutal war in Ukraine or the intractable hostilities in West Asia – the U.S. President is perennially in search of a diplomatic 'win." The idea of brokering a peace deal over Kashmir, however illusory, appeals to his desire to be seen as a master 'dealmaker" and global peacemaker. India's calm and consistent dismissal of such overtures is a sign of its diplomatic maturity. It refuses to allow its sovereign matters to become a political football in another country's domestic arena.
By securing a single document that addresses Chinese maritime aggression and Pakistan-sponsored terrorism with equal and specific gravity, India is successfully framing its distinct security challenges for a global audience. It makes the case that a rules-based order is threatened as much by a terrorist crossing a border in Kashmir as it is by a militia vessel ramming a fishing boat in the South China Sea.
As India prepares to host the next Quad Leaders' Summit, its role is clearly evolving from a balancing power to a leading one. The playbook on display is one of pragmatic, interest-driven alignment. It leverages the Quad framework not only to address the long-term strategic challenge in the Indo-Pacific but also to gain substantive, unambiguous support for its most immediate and persistent security threats. This reflects an India that is finally, and effectively, speaking the language of power and interest on the global stage, and making sure that the world listens.
Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra
Sanbeer Singh Ranhotra is a producer and video journalist at Network18. He is enthusiastic about and writes on both national affairs as well as geopolitics.
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First Published:
July 02, 2025, 15:36 IST
News opinion Straight Talk | Modi's Playbook For Quad: Shaming Pakistan, Countering China And Dismissing Trump
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