QUAD Talks Resume After India-U.S. Trade Deal; Jaishankar Meets Marco Rubio, China Likely to Face Increased Pressure

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his U.S. counterpart, Senator Marco Rubio, in Washington on Tuesday to discuss key issues related to the Quad group. This was the first meeting between the two ministers following the announcement of the India-U.S. trade deal.

Revival of QUAD Initiatives
Following the historic trade agreement between India and the U.S., activity around the long-dormant Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) has picked up. During the meeting in Washington, Rubio expressed interest in expanding both bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad framework. The U.S. State Department confirmed that the discussions focused on strengthening strategic ties and shared interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

Tommy Piggott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, said, “Rubio and Jaishankar concluded the meeting by reaffirming their commitment to enhancing cooperation through the Quad. Both leaders agreed that a prosperous Indo-Pacific is essential for advancing our shared interests.”

What is QUAD?
The Quad is a strategic grouping of four countries: India, the United States, Australia, and Japan. India currently holds the chairmanship of the group. The Quad supports a free and open Indo-Pacific and has increasingly gained importance as the U.S. backs India’s role in the Indian Ocean to counter China’s growing influence.

While Jaishankar shared a photo of his meeting with Rubio on social media, he did not specifically mention the Quad. He stated that discussions covered a wide range of topics including trade, energy, nuclear cooperation, defense, critical minerals, and technology. Both ministers also agreed to convene initial meetings under various mechanisms to advance their shared interests.

QUAD and the U.S. Perspective
The primary objective of the Quad is to establish a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region amidst China’s assertive actions. Indo-Pacific strategy has been a key priority for former U.S. President Donald Trump, who revitalized the Quad during his first term in 2017. The subsequent Biden administration further advanced the group, launching summits that included agendas on maritime security, climate change, and STEM fellowships. However, since 2024, no Quad summit has been held. Following the India-U.S. trade deal, signals suggest that Quad activities are set to gain momentum once again.