Quad maritime domain awareness pact key for unimpeded trade: The Hindu

The Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), launched under the Quad framework in 2022, is crucial for ensuring unimpeded trade in the Indo-Pacific region, according to an analysis in The Hindu. The article notes that nearly $7 trillion in trade flows annually through the Indo-Pacific, which faces threats from state-sponsored coercion, illegal maritime activity, and a surveillance gap that the U.S. alone cannot address.

IPMDA is a technology-based mechanism for sharing near-real-time maritime data across partner nations to detect and deter threats. India purchased SeaVision technology from the U.S. in 2025, including software enhancements and training. The Quad's Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration 2026, under the IPMDA architecture, integrates data from commercial satellite-based radio-frequency monitoring, radar fusion, and partner-nation sensor networks to create a layered picture of maritime activities.

For India, its Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region, established in Gurugram in 2018, is a natural complement to IPMDA. The article argues that full potential will be realised only with active participation of Quad partners, ASEAN states, and Pacific Island nations.