BRICS Summit: India-China Cooperation and Its Impact on the Global South

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BRICS Summit: India-China Cooperation and Its Impact on the Global South

The BRICS Summit in New Delhi has highlighted the growing importance of cooperation between India and China within the wider framework of emerging-market collaboration. As two of the world's largest developing economies and major BRICS members, India and China have considerable influence over trade, technology, investment, infrastructure and the wider Global South.

BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi

Their relationship is complex and includes areas of competition as well as opportunities for cooperation. Yet within BRICS, both countries have an interest in strengthening the voice of developing economies and expanding cooperation on issues that affect the global economy.

The 2026 summit therefore provides an important opportunity to examine how India-China cooperation could influence the future of the Global South.

Why India-China Cooperation Matters

India and China together represent a significant share of the world's population and economic activity. Both countries are major participants in global trade and have rapidly developing technology and manufacturing sectors.

Their cooperation can therefore have effects beyond their bilateral relationship.

When India and China coordinate within BRICS, their positions can influence discussions about development finance, international trade, technology, climate policy, digital payments and global governance.

The New Delhi Declaration emphasized stronger participation by emerging markets and developing countries in international decision-making, reflecting a broader BRICS objective of giving the Global South a greater voice.

Cooperation Within a Diverse BRICS

BRICS is not a group in which every country has identical interests.

Members have different economic structures, foreign-policy priorities and development requirements. India and China also have areas where their interests do not always align.

However, BRICS provides a platform where countries can cooperate on common economic priorities without requiring them to agree on every international issue.

This makes the India-China relationship particularly important.

Their ability to find common ground can influence whether BRICS develops into a practical platform for economic cooperation or remains primarily a forum for political dialogue.

Trade and Global Supply Chains

India and China are both deeply connected to global supply chains.

China has become a major manufacturing and export centre, while India has developed strong capabilities in information technology, pharmaceuticals, services, manufacturing and other sectors.

Greater cooperation could support more diversified supply chains across the Global South.

BRICS discussions in New Delhi placed emphasis on resilient global value chains and greater participation by developing countries in higher-value production.

For developing economies, this could create opportunities to become more integrated into regional manufacturing networks rather than depending primarily on exports of raw materials.

Opportunities for Developing Countries

Cooperation between India and China can indirectly create opportunities for other developing countries.

Both countries have large markets, significant manufacturing capabilities and extensive experience in infrastructure and digital development.

Other Global South economies can potentially benefit from investment, technology partnerships, industrial cooperation and knowledge exchange.

For example, countries seeking to develop manufacturing capacity may benefit from supply-chain partnerships, while developing economies working on digital transformation can learn from different approaches used by India and China.

The key is ensuring that cooperation creates sustainable local economic capacity rather than simply increasing dependence on external suppliers.

Technology and Digital Development

Technology is becoming one of the most important areas of BRICS cooperation.

India has developed large-scale digital public infrastructure and a rapidly growing technology sector. China has significant capabilities in manufacturing technology, telecommunications, artificial intelligence and digital commerce.

Greater cooperation within BRICS could allow developing economies to access a wider range of technological knowledge and experience.

The New Delhi Summit placed artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and innovation among important areas of cooperation, with particular attention to the needs of the Global South.

This could help developing countries improve productivity, digital services and access to international markets.

Financial Connectivity

India-China cooperation also matters to discussions about international financial connectivity.

BRICS has been exploring ways to make cross-border payments faster, cheaper and more accessible. The 2026 New Delhi Declaration supported continued work on payment-system interoperability and greater use of national currencies in trade and investment.

For developing countries, better financial connectivity could reduce some of the costs associated with international transactions.

It could also make trade between emerging economies more efficient.

Importantly, this does not require the immediate creation of a common BRICS currency. The current focus is more practical: connecting existing financial systems and improving the infrastructure for cross-border transactions.

Development Finance

Infrastructure remains one of the biggest challenges facing developing economies.

Roads, railways, ports, electricity networks, digital infrastructure and industrial facilities require substantial investment.

India and China both have extensive experience with large-scale infrastructure development, while BRICS has the New Development Bank as a multilateral financing institution.

Greater cooperation could therefore contribute to stronger development financing and knowledge exchange across the Global South.

The challenge will be ensuring that projects are economically sustainable, transparent and aligned with the long-term development priorities of participating countries.

A Stronger Voice for the Global South

One of the most important potential effects of India-China cooperation is diplomatic rather than economic.

Developing countries often want greater representation in international institutions and decision-making processes.

The New Delhi Declaration called for greater and more meaningful participation of emerging markets and developing countries in global governance. It also supported reforms to major international institutions.

If India and China can cooperate on these issues while bringing other developing economies into the discussion, BRICS could become a stronger platform for Global South priorities.

India and China as Different Development Models

India and China offer different approaches to economic development.

China has built a manufacturing-heavy economy supported by large-scale infrastructure and extensive export networks. India has developed strong services, information technology, pharmaceuticals and digital public infrastructure alongside efforts to expand manufacturing.

For developing countries, having access to different models can be valuable.

Instead of following a single development path, countries can examine what has worked in different economies and adapt relevant ideas to their own circumstances.

This exchange of experiences could be one of the quieter but more valuable benefits of BRICS cooperation.

Agriculture and Food Security

Food security is another area where cooperation among major emerging economies can have wider consequences.

India and China have large agricultural sectors and extensive experience with food production, rural development and agricultural technology.

BRICS cooperation can support knowledge-sharing in areas such as digital agriculture, climate-resilient farming, supply-chain management and food security.

For countries in Africa, Asia and other parts of the Global South, agricultural cooperation could help improve productivity while reducing vulnerability to disruptions in international food markets.

Climate and Sustainable Development

India and China are also among the world's major energy consumers and important participants in the global energy transition.

Their cooperation within BRICS can influence discussions about renewable energy, energy security, critical minerals and climate finance.

Developing countries frequently argue that climate policy must take into account their development needs. They require access to affordable energy while also facing pressure to reduce emissions.

A stronger Global South voice could therefore encourage approaches that combine environmental objectives with economic development.

The Challenges of India-China Cooperation

Despite these opportunities, India-China cooperation should not be viewed as simple or automatic.

The two countries have differences in strategic interests, trade, security and regional affairs. These differences can affect the level of cooperation possible in different areas.

BRICS itself also includes countries with diverse priorities.

The practical approach is therefore likely to be selective cooperation.

India and China can work together where their interests overlap while maintaining separate positions where they disagree.

This is one reason BRICS is important: it provides an institutional space for cooperation without requiring complete political alignment.

Competition Can Also Drive Innovation

India-China competition is not necessarily negative for the Global South.

Competition in manufacturing, technology, digital services and infrastructure can encourage innovation and lower costs.

The challenge is ensuring that competition remains constructive and does not create unnecessary barriers for developing economies.

If countries have access to multiple suppliers, technologies and investment partners, they may have greater bargaining power and more choices.

This could support a more diversified global economy.

What Cooperation Could Mean for Smaller Economies

For smaller developing countries, the most important question is practical.

Can India-China cooperation help create more investment, technology transfer, trade opportunities and access to finance?

If BRICS initiatives support these outcomes, smaller economies could benefit even without being major economic powers themselves.

The expansion of BRICS and its growing engagement with other developing countries creates a wider platform for such cooperation.

The Global South is not a single economic bloc. Its countries have very different needs. A successful BRICS approach therefore needs to provide flexible opportunities rather than a single model for development.

The Future of India-China Cooperation in BRICS

The future relationship between India and China within BRICS will depend on their ability to separate areas of cooperation from areas of disagreement.

Economic cooperation can continue even when strategic differences remain.

Trade, digital technology, development finance, climate issues, public health and international institutional reform are all areas where common interests can potentially be developed.

The 2026 New Delhi Summit has demonstrated that BRICS can provide a framework for these discussions.

Whether this cooperation becomes deeper will depend on what happens after the summit and whether declarations translate into practical projects.

Conclusion

The BRICS Summit in New Delhi has highlighted the important role India and China can play in shaping the future of the Global South.

Their cooperation could influence trade routes, supply chains, digital technology, financial connectivity, development finance and international governance.

At the same time, their relationship remains complex, and cooperation will not eliminate their differences.

The most realistic path is therefore practical cooperation in areas where interests overlap.

If India and China can use BRICS to support greater economic connectivity while allowing developing countries to build their own capabilities, the benefits could extend far beyond the two countries.

For the Global South, the real opportunity is not simply stronger cooperation between two major powers. It is the possibility of building a more diverse and inclusive international system in which developing countries have more choices, stronger partnerships and a greater role in shaping the global economy.