The announcement of the AUKUS by the US without prior warning was one of the low points in Indian foreign policy.
It was most probably caused by a (mistaken) perception in Washington that Canberra was a more reliable ally against Beijing than New Delhi.
The perception was probably caused by the Indian hesitancy to agree to even minimally militarise the QUAD from a purely diplomatic grouping to a more military alignment.
The consequences of not being given access to US nuclear submarine technology are devastating for the Indian Navy’s plans to offensively confront Beijing in the maritime arena.
Now, however, there is an opportunity to leap-frog the disappointment over the AUKUS by inviting Japan to join India in a bilateral nuclear submarine building project.
Link:
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-beijings-rising-maritime-clout-calls-for-a-joint-india-japan-nuclear-submarine-project-8339449/ (Indian Express)