India's oil imports from Russia crossed 40% of total supply in 2024. This is not dependency. It is deliberate — a strategic hedge that keeps every major power guessing about India's next move.
Washington wanted a NATO for the Indo-Pacific. India wanted a coalition of interests with no binding commitments. India won that argument — and the Quad is more durable because of it.
India's abstentions at the UN were not fence-sitting. They were a calculated demonstration of strategic autonomy that every major power now has to negotiate with.