Quad grouping 

• The grouping of four democracies – India, Australia, US and Japan – known as the quadrilateral security dialogue or quad, was first mooted by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2007. Quad was revived in 2017. 
• The QUAD partners share a commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region based on shared values and principles and respect for international law. 
• There is a focus on practical cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development, and counter-terrorism, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian and disaster relief, with the objective of promoting peace, security, stability and prosperity in an increasingly inter-connected Indo-Pacific region. 
• With growing concerns in all four quad countries about Chinese foreign policy and regional influence, the group has found renewed relevance.

Why in News?

• Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar said that the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) initiative, announced by the Quad grouping, is a testament to our commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific.
• The IPMDA was announced by the Quad grouping, comprising India, Australia, Japan and U.S., at the Tokyo summit in early 2022 to track “dark shipping” and build a “faster, wider, and more accurate maritime picture of near-real-time activities in partners’ waters”, integrating three critical regions in the Indo-Pacific — the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the IOR.
  • “Dark ships” are vessels with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) – a transponder system – switched off so as not to be detectable. 

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/quads-ipmda-a-proof-of-our-commitment-to-a-free-open-inclusive-indo-pacific-navy-chief/article67500745.ece#