India's NATO+5 Status — Balanced Report

The US Senate is preparing to introduce legislation granting India ‘NATO plus five’ defence status as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Washington.
This framework, however, has already been rejected by India’s External Affairs Minister.

NATO Plus is a partnership comprised of NATO and five countries: Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea.
This group’s major goal is to improve worldwide defence cooperation.
Membership in NATO Plus would provide India with various benefits, including seamless intelligence sharing across member nations, immediate access to cutting-edge military technologies, and a reinforced defence alliance with the United States.

The US is eager to welcome India into NATO for the following reasons:

Counterbalancing China: The entry of India in NATO would serve to offset China’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific.
Defence cooperation between the United States and India would be strengthened.
Improving regional stability: India’s participation would help to boost regional stability and defence capability.
NATO’s worldwide influence would be expanded by including India, which would handle security problems in the Indo-Pacific.
Promoting a rule-based order: It is consistent with shared principles such as democracy, human rights, and freedom of navigation.

Joining NATO + 5 would provide India with various benefits, including:
Increased security cooperation and intelligence sharing with NATO and its five partner countries, namely Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea, will benefit India.
Access to advanced military technology: Through expedited transfer protocols, India would have access to the latest military technologies and equipment, allowing for faster modernisation of its defence forces.
Defence partnership strengthened: Becoming a NATO + 5 member will boost India’s defence alliance with the US and other NATO allies, leading to tighter collaboration on various defence programmes.
Improved regional security: India’s involvement in NATO + 5 will help to strengthen regional security, particularly in the Indo-Pacific area, by encouraging cooperation among like-minded countries to handle similar security concerns.
Enhanced deterrent against adversaries: Being a part of this defence structure would strengthen India’s deterrence capabilities against potential adversaries, especially given the region’s escalating security challenges.

The proposed legislation aims to strengthen India-US defence ties by include India in this arrangement, allowing for the transfer of defence equipment with minimal regulatory intervention.
The action follows a suggestion from a House of Representatives committee on China to include India in the club.

The proposed pattern does not applicable to India, according to India’s External Affairs Minister, who expressed appreciation for the sentiment but clarified that it was not appropriate for the country.
The Biden administration understands the distinction between India and the proposed framework.

For the following reasons, India is unlikely to join ‘NATO-Plus’:
Non-aligned foreign policy: India has long adopted a non-aligned foreign policy, emphasising strategic autonomy and avoiding formal military alliances.
Regional relationships: Rather of joining broad-based military alliances, India wants to form strategic partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific area based on shared interests.
Unique security difficulties: Because India has specific security challenges in its region, it tailors its defence priorities appropriately, rendering a broad military alliance unsuitable.
Diverse foreign policy goals: India pursues a multifaceted foreign policy strategy, concentrating on goals other than security alliances, such as economic cooperation and climate change.
Provoking China: India wants to manage its relationship with China pragmatically, avoiding acts that could aggravate tensions, making membership in a US-led military alliance potentially provocative.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/senate-india-caucus-to-introduce-bill-to-add-india-to-nato-plus-bloc/article66992764.ece