With the framework for an interim free trade agreement now in the bag, India is probably hoping the Quad, which has languished over the last year, will now get a boost. Riya Sinha, a maritime connectivity specialist and former associate fellow at the CSEP think tank, notes that the Quad has in recent times focused on maritime domain awareness, training exercises and operational enablement so that partners can secure waters and also combat illegal activity.
“QUAD is looking at an overall framework of moving trade vessels, shipping connectivity, as well as securing its logistics and supply chains. Where it lacks is in operationalising it,” she said during a conversation on The Gist.
She referred to her paper published recently by the CSEP (Centre for Social and Economic Progress) titled “India and the Quad in Port Development in the Bay of Bengal Region”.
Investment in hardware and software has been limited. Country-level efforts at the bilateral level are being seen, but a collective effort at the Quad level is lacking. She suggests a reframing of how Quad as a grouping is going forward and mobilising a lot of these investments in a lot of areas, ports being one of them.
India is already investing heavily in port development, driven largely by concerns about China’s behaviour in the Indian Ocean and its expanding profile there. China’s involvement in the port sector is across areas – in construction, leasing, operations, etc. There’s also an added risk of these ports turning into dual-use infrastructure in the region. This amplifies the need to improve port development in the Bay of Bengal region.
She noted that “The QUAD made a significant achievement at the Ports of the Future Partnership that India hosted in 2025.” She proposes a hybrid model where each Quad member can can leverage its strength, rather than getting all four countries to work together.
“There are countries in the Bay of Bengal region that require ports. If that space is not being filled by India, Japan, Australia or the US, they will rely on one country to come in and fill that gap.”
That country could well be China. It explains India’s engagement in the neighbourhood. The recent Maritime Week saw billion of dollars committed for port devellopment in the country.
Sinha says, “India has projects in the neighbouring countries that provide access to Nepal and Bangladesh, the landlocked countries, through these ports. We are involved in the end-to-end corridor system, end-to-end connectivity.”
Tune in for more in this conversation with Riya Sinha on the Quad and maritime connectivity.
