India’s limited hard balancing and strategic autonomy in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific, post-Galwan

Deadly skirmishes in the Galwan valley between Chinese and Indian soldiers in June 2020 were a shocking reminder of the border conflict between two Asian giants. Scholars pinpointed India’s failure to balance against China, a persistent form of “under-balancing” or “evasive balancing” of its much more powerful neighbor. The paper argues that post-Galwan India has sustained a level of limited hard balancing even as threat perceptions have subsided. This is evident from investments in critical naval capabilities, deeper military engagement with members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (an informal security arrangement involving the US, Japan, Australia, India) and enhanced strategic partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. The paper posits India’s limited hard balancing of China is part and parcel of the country’s bid for greater strategic autonomy.