India vs China Inside BRICS: Can Modi Cooperate With Beijing While Competing With It?

India is preparing to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12–13, putting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an unusual diplomatic position. China is one of India’s biggest strategic competitors, yet Beijing is also one of the most important members of BRICS. With the possibility of a Modi–Xi interaction attracting attention, the summit could become a test of whether India can separate strategic rivalry from economic and diplomatic cooperation.

For India, cooperation with China has clear advantages. Trade, technology, supply chains and regional stability cannot simply be ignored. Recent diplomatic engagement suggests both sides are cautiously trying to stabilise relations after years of border tensions. India can use BRICS to push for a greater voice for the Global South while simultaneously protecting its own interests.

But this is where the controversy begins. Can India trust China while competing against it? Beijing remains India's biggest strategic challenge, from the border to technology and regional influence. India is also concerned about restrictions affecting Indian businesses operating in China and Chinese controls on important technologies and raw materials. Critics could therefore argue that excessive economic dependence on China may weaken India's strategic position.

The Modi government's answer appears to be strategic autonomy rather than permanent confrontation: cooperate where interests overlap and compete where national interests clash. But BRICS itself is becoming more complicated, with Russia, China and other members having different priorities.

The real test is whether India can sit at the same table with China without surrendering its strategic interests. If Modi manages that balance, BRICS could strengthen India's global influence. If not, the summit could expose India's dilemma: Can you cooperate with your biggest competitor without becoming dependent on it?