When foreign ministers from the U.S., Australia, India and Japan met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York in late September, it represented a significant elevation for the status of this group -- known as the Quad.
It was only a year ago that Indian officials were reluctant to hold talks at the foreign secretary level, preferring to limit engagement to the more junior joint secretary level, despite significant pressure from the U.S. and Japan.
