India is deepening military ties with the US, Japan and Australia while continuing to exercise with Russia, testing how far New Delhi can stretch its policy of strategic autonomy. AUSTRAHIND 2026 comes as India expands defense cooperation with Canberra, while exercises with Washington and Tokyo sharpen capabilities in mountain warfare, drones, air power and maritime security. At the same time, China and Pakistan have held their first joint army training, including high-altitude operations and joint command, adding to India’s longstanding concern over a two-front security challenge. Meanwhile, Washington is trying to strengthen ties with New Delhi through trade, energy and defense cooperation, while Japan and India prepare for another 2+2 meeting. In this episode, we examine whether India is successfully building a flexible network of partners, how China and Pakistan shape its security calculations, and what India’s growing ties with the West and Russia could mean for a future Indo-Pacific crisis.
*Recorded on October 27, 2026 at 4:30pm Taiwan Standard Time
Host: Ethan Liu
Producer: Miguel Yang
Videographer: Damon Lin
Our guests:
Shen Ming-shih
- Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) Research Fellow
Sana Hashmi
- Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation Fellow
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