Improved bilateral relations will empower the organization, strengthen South-South cooperation and promote multipolarity in international relations. It will also enhance the status of BRICS as a platform to address sensitive issues through diplomacy.

The recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS summit highlights a crucial shift toward economic growth and rebuilding their relationship amid ongoing competition and territorial disputes. Ultimately, it’s imperative the two countries find ways to bolster trust, facilitate communication, and identify common ground moving forward.

There is an urgent need for China and India to prioritize dialogue, establish baseline agreements, and avoid inflammatory rhetoric to prevent further deterioration in bilateral relations.

India wants to reduce China’s footprint in its industrial chains. China must deal with this by strengthening its own industrial and innovation chains. It must also improve its policy on industrial chain transfers. It should avoid contributing to India’s development at the cost of its own.

India’s emergence has the potential to occupy a portion of the global stage as Western powers decouple/de-risk from China’s dominance in strategic sectors. Nevertheless, India faces obstacles, including its own dependence on China and the latter’s trade hegemony.

The unprecedented lovefest between the United States and India has been striking and, frankly, puzzling. Following the pageantry of US President Joe Biden hosting a state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and of US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy inviting Modi to address a joint session of Congress for a second time, one wonders if America is giving away the store and getting very little in return.

When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US President Joe Biden in the White House this month, many observers saw the makings of an evolving alliance a

India wants to maintain cordial relations with multiple entities on the international stage, while the United States seeks a tighter alignment. Despite U.S. inducements, India is not likely to abandon its fundamental diplomatic philosophy of strategic autonomy.

China and India are Asia’s two largest countries, and both are rising quickly to claim powerful positions in the international order. Their proximity has made them natural competitors - but their relationship’s pillars and challenges will be important to understand in the 21st Century.