India is losing its regional primacy as Beijing and Washington move in
India is being denied the uncontested dominance it once held. The task ahead is not to restore the old hierarchy but to find a new path
South Asia is undergoing a gradual but important shift. Smaller states now command a widening array of options, and India’s primacy is quietly giving way. The lesson is clear. Regional leadership can no longer rest on geography and must be sustained through credible and mutually beneficial engagements that compare favourably with the alternatives.
Economic dependence complicates the rivalry. India imported nearly US$132 billion of Chinese goods in the year ended March, more than from any other country. A government analysis has since reportedly identified about US$51 billion in critical imports that could be replaced by pushing domestic production, partly to reduce reliance on China. Thus, China competes strategically with India while retaining considerable influence over its industrial supply chains.