Quad at Crossroads? India Eyes Summit Substitute Meet

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With no sign of a leaders’ summit, questions emerge over the future relevance of the Quad in Indo-Pacific geopolitics.

By TRH Op-Ed Desk

New Delhi, April 17, 2026 — The future of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is under renewed scrutiny as India explores hosting a ministerial-level meeting in New Delhi next month, potentially marking the end of its prolonged leadership cycle.

According to reports, India may convene foreign ministers from the four Quad nations — United States, India, Japan, and Australia — in what is being informally dubbed a “leaders’ summit.” However, this characterization has raised eyebrows within strategic circles.

Traditionally, a Quad leaders’ summit implies the participation of heads of state or government. In this case, the absence of Donald Trump — with no indication of a planned visit to India — signals a possible downgrade in both optics and intent.

Geopolitics analyst Manish Anand described the situation bluntly: “Quad has proven to be the proverbial monkey on the back of India. To get this monkey off the back, there appears to be a move to hold a ministerial meeting and badge it as a leaders’ summit.” He cited a report in the China Morning Post, which claimed that a ministerial meeting of the Quad with the participation of the US Secretary of the State Marco Rubio is on the cards.

India has effectively been at the helm of Quad engagements for over a year, with expectations that its leadership phase would conclude by the end of 2025. The delay, coupled with the absence of a full-fledged summit, has prompted New Delhi to seek a workaround, added Anand.

“The idea is to give Quad a ceremonial closure from New Delhi,” Anand said, pointing to reports that the foreign ministers’ meet could serve as a symbolic endpoint to India’s stewardship.

But beneath the diplomatic choreography lies a deeper concern: the apparent waning of U.S. engagement.

“The message is clear — Quad is on its deathbed,” Anand said, adding: “Without America’s keen involvement, the grouping loses its strategic relevance in Indo-Pacific geopolitics.”

The Quad, revived in recent years as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence, has relied heavily on U.S. leadership to maintain coherence and momentum. Any perceived disengagement from Washington risks diluting the forum’s effectiveness.

While India, Japan, and Australia have continued to emphasise the importance of the grouping, the lack of clarity around a leaders’ summit has fuelled speculation about its future trajectory.

Diplomatic observers note that rebranding a ministerial meeting as a “leaders’ summit” could be an attempt to preserve continuity and avoid signalling a setback. However, such moves also risk highlighting the very gaps they seek to mask.

As New Delhi prepares for the proposed meeting, the broader question remains: can the Quad retain its strategic weight without sustained, high-level commitment from all four members?

For now, the answer appears uncertain — and the upcoming ministerial in New Delhi may offer the clearest indication yet of whether the Quad is recalibrating or receding.