Rubio’s India Visit Revives Big Questions Over Quad’s Momentum And Strategic Future

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit India from May 23 to 26 for high-level talks focused on trade, defence, energy and Indo-Pacific coordination. The visit will culminate in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New Delhi alongside representatives from India, Japan and Australia. But even before the meeting begins, debate is growing over whether the Quad’s political momentum has weakened after the absence of a leaders’ summit in 2025. Supporters argue the grouping is evolving into a quieter operational platform focused on strategic coordination rather than headline-making announcements, shifting from summit optics to long-term institutional cooperation.