India's recent "Operation Sindoor," a military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, has far-reaching implications, particularly concerning its ties with the Quad. The operation, conducted from May 7 to May 10, 2025, involved strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistani-occupied Kashmir (PoK), signaling a shift in India's counterterrorism doctrine. It raises critical questions about the cohesion and effectiveness of the Quad, especially in the face of regional security challenges.
Operation Sindoor showcased India's enhanced joint warfighting and credible punishment capability. It demonstrated integrated air-land-sea power, precision strike capabilities, and information warfare tactics against terror threats. The operation established a new "normal" where India is willing and able to strike high-value terrorist infrastructure across the border, even under nuclear overhang, while carefully controlling escalation. The three-day operation combined air strikes, ground actions, and naval deployments to neutralize terrorist infrastructure. Indian spokespersons emphasized "immense restraint" in the choice of targets, stressing that strikes were "measured and non-escalatory" even as they warned of severe consequences for any future attacks.
However, India's Quad allies' silence during Operation Sindoor has raised concerns. Despite being a strategic alliance aimed at countering China, the Quad provided no endorsements, tweets, or acknowledgments of India's security concerns. The US State Department's call for "restraint" from both India and Pakistan was viewed as a tepid response, equating a terrorism victim with its perpetrator. This lack of support stings, given the Quad's purpose as a counterweight to China's Pacific posturing, especially considering Pakistan's close ties with China.
Despite the silence from its Quad partners, Operation Sindoor has strengthened India's global standing as a decisive counter-terror state. It projects an image of a confident India that can leverage its growing military capabilities to secure its interests. The operation also influenced doctrine and diplomacy, signaling India's readiness to act unilaterally against terror infrastructure and publicize evidence of Pakistani complicity. This strengthens India's international stance by gaining backing from allies who deplore terrorism and portrays Pakistan as a state sponsoring terrorism. Operation Sindoor marks a doctrinal shift, normalizing "pre-emptive punitive response" as part of its strategic toolkit, reshaping how the subcontinent will handle cross-border terrorism.
Domestically, Operation Sindoor is viewed as a bold and calculated response to terrorism. India successfully destroyed nine high-value terror launchpads linked to various terror groups. By targeting locations deep within Pakistan's mainland, India discarded the distinction between terrorists and their state sponsors, sending a strong message that no part of Pakistan would be considered safe if terror emanates from its soil. The operation also exposed vulnerabilities in Pakistan's air defense network and demonstrated India's robust air defense capabilities.
Furthermore, Operation Sindoor has helped shift the narrative around Kashmir, framing the strikes as a legitimate response to terrorism rather than a bilateral dispute. This de-hyphenates the Kashmir issue from India's right to act against terror, sending a clear message that those who shelter terrorists will no longer be safe.
In conclusion, "Operation Sindoor" represents a significant development in India's approach to counterterrorism, but it also raises questions about the strength and reliability of its alliances, particularly the Quad. While the operation has bolstered India's image as a decisive actor and reshaped regional dynamics, the silence from its Quad partners underscores the challenges of maintaining cohesive alliances in a complex geopolitical landscape.
