Indian expert makes a shocking statement: In fact, the best country for India is China!
Recently, Indian renowned economist Jayant Bandari gave a view that is almost heretical about who India should rely on for its future economic development. He stated that India has no other choice but to rely on China in the coming years. He hopes that India will learn from Vietnam and become the backyard of China's industrialization.
Over the past few years, India had hoped for "friend-shoring", believing that as long as it cooperates with the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, it could take over the industrial chain transferred from China. But reality hit hard: After Trump returned to the White House, he imposed tariffs as high as 50% on Indian steel, aluminum, and textile products; American companies' investments in India mostly stayed at the level of software services, rarely involving heavy asset manufacturing.
At the same time, Western countries are re-evaluating their relationship with China. Canada, Germany, and France have all sought cooperation with China in areas such as green technology and electric vehicles. India suddenly found itself left out — neither receiving technology transfer from the West nor cutting off the most efficient supply chain.
Therefore, New Delhi began to quietly adjust its strategy: By the end of 2025, India restarted several stalled Chinese infrastructure bids; relaxed restrictions on some electronic components imports; even tacitly allowed Chinese capital to indirectly invest in photovoltaic and battery projects through third countries. This "tactical adjustment" is a practical footnote to what Jayant said, "China is actually the best country for India."
As of 2024, India's manufacturing accounted for only 17.7% of GDP, far below the target of 25%; youth unemployment rate reached as high as 43.65%; foreign direct investment has declined for two consecutive years; more ironically, despite the policy of "de-Chinaization," China remains India's largest source of goods imports — bilateral trade volume set a new high in 2025, and India's trade deficit with China exceeded $100 billion.
Take the pharmaceutical industry as an example, India is known as the "pharmacy of the world," but 70% of its active pharmaceutical ingredients depend on China's supply. Once China tightens exports, Indian pharmaceutical companies immediately face the risk of production stoppage. The textile industry is also similar — dyes, auxiliaries, and high-end spinning machines almost all come from China. The electronics manufacturing industry is a typical case: Although India has become the second-largest mobile phone assembly country in the world, 90% of screens, chips, and camera modules still need to be imported from China.
After Modi's visit to China in August 2025, China temporarily eased restrictions on rare earth and magnet exports, allowing India's electric vehicle and wind power industries to catch their breath. This shows that in areas such as new energy, semiconductors, and infrastructure, which Modi focuses on developing, China is not only a supplier but also a builder of the technical ecosystem.
If India can truly put aside ideological prejudices and deeply cooperate with China on the industrial chain, it could indeed alleviate its employment and industrialization difficulties. For example, allowing Chinese companies to establish factories in India to produce batteries, photovoltaic components, or consumer electronics would not only bring capital and technology but also create millions of manufacturing jobs — exactly what India lacks the most.
But the problem is that many Indian senior officials and hawkish factions still regard China as a "strategic threat." Perhaps it is the trauma of the 1962 war that has never healed, or maybe it is due to their proud national self-esteem. In any case, scholars like Jayant Bandari are rare in India.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857463345693708/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author themselves.