THE EVOLVING POSITION OF QUAD IN INDO-PACIFIC GEOPOLITICS

Sub-regionalism is rapidly becoming a critical component of international relations.Geopolitics and political configuration of any given region significantly influence how the countries of that region interact with one another.In analyzing the geographic location of nation-states in modern international relations discourse, Halford Mackinder introduced the practice of geopolitics by distinguishing between 'Mainland' and 'Heartland'.In this context, the Indo-Pacific region can be analyzed as an example.After the economic crisis in East and South East Asia in the late 1990s, the movement towards sub-regionalism gained momentum.But currently, due to China's increasing hegemony in the Indo-Pacific region, the discussion of that geopolitical space is a much-discussed topic in world politics, and Japan, the United States, India, and Australia have jointly formed the Quad as an alternative force to counter domination in the region.This paper aims to ( 1) analyze the role of the Quad as a sub-regional mechanism promoting strategic cooperation and regional stability in the postpandemic world, (2) assess the geopolitical relevance of the Quad in maintaining a democratic and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, and (3) evaluate the strategic opportunities that India derives from its participation in the Quad, particularly in the current global context.The study adopts an analytical research methodology and is primarily based on secondary sources such as official documents, scholarly articles, and policy papers.The findings will contribute to a deeper understanding of how sub-regional groupings like the Quad reshape regional order and influence the evolving balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, especially from India's strategic standpoint.