India is emerging as a major hub for international military exercises, bringing some of the world’s most advanced forces onto Indian soil while still insisting on its long-standing policy of strategic autonomy. Tarang Shakti 2026 has drawn air forces from the US, France, Germany and Australia, including the first participation of a US F-35 in an exercise in India, while Yudh Abhyas has seen Indian and American troops train in mountain warfare, drones and counter-drone operations near the disputed border with China. At the same time, New Delhi continues working with Japan and Australia while maintaining ties with Beijing and Moscow through forums such as BRICS. Is India building a new security network around itself, or simply keeping every option open? In this episode, we examine India’s growing role as an exercise hub, what these drills reveal about its military priorities and whether strategic autonomy can survive a serious Indo-Pacific crisis.
*Recorded on September 29, 2026 at 4pm Taiwan Standard Time
Host: Ethan Liu
Producer: Miguel Yang
Videographer: Ko Gi
Our guests:
Nitin Gokhale
- Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Bharat Shakti and StratNews Global
K. Tristan Tang
- The Jamestown Foundation Fellow
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