Analysing India-Japan Relations: The Emergence of the Quad and the Maritime Diplomacy

This chapter analyse Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) policy and India’s Look East/Act East policy to evaluate Indo-Japanese relations through the lens of maritime diplomacy, identifying both states as maritime democracies. The scope and orientation of these policies have evolved over time from FOIP 1.0 to 2.0 and from Look East to Act East providing sustained support for the strengthening of Indo-Japanese ties. Since the early twenty-first century, Japan has recognized the importance of regional cooperation to enhance its strategic position in East Asia and to address emerging challenges, while maintaining security policies anchored in the US–Japan alliance. India, historically adhering to a non-alignment policy, has increasingly regarded Japan as a democratic partner with minimal conflicting regional interests and as a key actor in advancing its maritime security agenda. The convergence of these policy trajectories contributed to the emergence of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad represents both a response to China’s growing maritime assertiveness and a broader effort to embed bilateral cooperation within a multilateral institutional framework. Against this background, the chapter evaluates the implications of shifting power dynamics and the realignment of regional actors particularly India and Japan in their pursuit of a more stable and balanced Indo-Pacific order. It argues that naval diplomacy remains a central instrument through which these two states promote strategic cooperation, ensure freedom of navigation, and shape the evolving regional security architecture.