International

Should India join the ‘Squad’?

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The Philippines and its allies are trying to expand the Squad grouping of nations to include India and South Korea to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region, the Philippines’ Armed Forces Chief General Romeo S. Brawner said on Wednesday. Japan has expressed support for strengthening security cooperation with India and South Korea in the Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing the importance of creating a multi-layered network of alliances to address growing security threats.
What is squad?
The ‘Squad’ is a newly emerging military alliance in the Indo-Pacific region, currently comprising the United States, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. The group is focused on regional security, defense cooperation, and countering China’s growing influence, particularly in the South China Sea.
  • Purpose: Strengthen defense ties, intelligence sharing, joint military drills
  • Focus Region: Indo-Pacific, especially the South China Sea
  • Reason for Formation: To counter China’s maritime activities and assertiveness in the region.
This alliance is different from the QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), which includes India, the U.S., Japan, and Australia, and focuses on a free and open Indo-Pacific without being a formal military alliance.
            The Philippines’ request comes at a time of increasing regional tensions, particularly following China’s recent live-fire naval drills in the Tasman Sea, located between Australia and New Zealand. The drills have raised concerns among several countries about Beijing’s military assertiveness.
what is India’s stand on this
        India has been invited to join the multilateral security alliance known as ‘Squad’ to counter China’s growing influence in the South China Sea. The Philippines is advocating for India and South Korea to become part of the group. As of now, India has not issued an official response to the Philippines’ invitation to join the ‘Squad’ alliance. Historically, India has preferred to maintain strategic autonomy and has been cautious about entering formal military alliances. India is already a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), alongside the United States, Japan, and Australia, which focuses on ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region. The decision to join the ‘Squad’ would depend on various factors, including India’s strategic interests, regional security considerations, and the specific commitments required by the alliance. Until an official statement is made by the Indian government, it remains uncertain whether India will choose to become a member of the ‘Squad’.
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