India faces increasing pressure from both the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral and the United States, revealing its deliberate multi-alignment strategy. China's Foreign Ministry recently endorsed deeper RIC cooperation, urging New Delhi to view Beijing as a partner, not a rival, following Vladimir Putin's praise for Modi and Xi. Simultaneously, India has frozen final approvals for Starlink's commercial launch, with security agencies demanding SpaceX explain how a U.S.-owned operator can guarantee compliance during geopolitical tensions, especially after Starlink terminals reportedly operated in Iran without a license.
This freeze, stalling the entire satellite-spectrum sector, demonstrates India's strategic autonomy operating against Washington. New Delhi seeks sovereign control guarantees before licensing, a template other middle powers may adopt. The RIC charm offensive aims to institutionalize a Eurasian triangle, diluting the Quad and weakening U.S. Indo-Pacific architecture, as India extracts maximum leverage from both blocs. The contest for India will define the multipolar order’s center of gravity.
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