AUKUS and India's Indo-Pacific Strategy

Abstract

The rollout of AUKUS represents a tectonic shift in the geopolitical rivalry between China and other Indo-Pacific nations. The coming together of three major democratic countries in a strategic technology pact to counter the authoritarian China in the Indo-Pacific could not have come at a more opportune time for India, which is facing increasing Chinese hostility on its northern land borders and strategic encirclement in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This article discusses AUKUS's potential impacts on India and examines India's Indo-Pacific strategy, its participation in the Quad, and its naval strategy. I argue that, on balance, AUKUS's benefits for India far outweigh its costs.