April 27, 2025
In a time when the global economic landscape is undergoing fundamental realignments, Red Lantern Analytica organized a pivotal webinar titled “Economic Crossroads: How the US-China Trade Rift Shapes India’s Strategic Future.”
The session brought together distinguished scholars and participants from across India and beyond, reflecting growing recognition that China’s destabilizing economic practices must be strategically countered, and that India’s rise must be firmly anchored on resilience, self-reliance, and global leadership.
The event featured keynote addresses by two eminent speakers:
- Prof. Dr. Nagalaxmi M Raman, Director and Head, Amity Institute of International Studies, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, and
- Prof. Pavnesh Kumar, Professor, School of Management Studies, Indira Gandhi National Open University.
In his welcome address, the Red Lantern Analytica representative emphasized the urgent need for India to view the shifting global economic order not as a mere disruption, but as a historic opportunity to position itself as a manufacturing, services, and strategic powerhouse — a clear rejection of the China-centric economic model that has shown itself to be unreliable and hegemonic.
Prof. Dr. Nagalaxmi M Raman, in a detailed presentation, outlined six key dimensions that define India’s emerging role amidst the US-China trade rift. She underlined that the global supply chain realignments triggered by Western distrust of China offer India a once-in-a-generation opportunity to capture critical sectors such as electronics, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy. Highlighting India’s demographic dividend, expanding digital economy, and strategic Indo-Pacific partnerships, she asserted that India must urgently reform its infrastructure, logistics, and regulatory environment to fully capitalize on these shifts.
Dr. Raman warned that although India stands to benefit greatly, deep internal reforms and visionary leadership are imperative. She rightly pointed out that strategic autonomy must remain India’s guiding principle, and the competitive coexistence with China demands both caution and firmness.
Prof. Pavnesh Kumar delivered an equally compelling address. With his extensive expertise in international business, he dissected the reasons behind the US-China economic rift, focusing on China’s exploitative trade practices, IP theft, and its loss of global credibility, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prof. Kumar stressed that while global firms are exiting China, India must aggressively court them by providing a business environment marked by political stability, low logistics costs, and skilled human resources. He praised government initiatives like the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes and liberalized FDI norms but cautioned that challenges in infrastructure and skill development still need urgent attention.
Highlighting India’s youthful workforce, democratic stability, and strategic location on major global shipping routes, Prof. Kumar asserted that India has all the fundamentals to emerge as a preferred alternative to China — provided reforms are deep, implementation is swift, and policymaking remains investor-friendly yet national-interest driven.
Both speakers emphasized that India must not merely aim to be a backup for Western firms leaving China, but should actively aspire to be a global leader in manufacturing, services, technology, and innovation — crafting an independent path and not becoming a cog in China’s game.
During the interactive Q&A session, participants posed thoughtful questions regarding India’s potential to emerge as a global strategic leader. Both speakers agreed that while India has the potential, realizing it would depend on relentless pursuit of internal reforms, enhancing ease of doing business, deepening trade ties with trusted democracies, and above all, maintaining strategic clarity against China’s disruptive actions.
As an international observers group committed to securing India’s strategic interests, Red Lantern Analytica firmly believes that blind engagement with authoritarian China is not a sustainable path. The emerging world order calls for countries like India to assert their sovereignty, resilience, and economic leadership without succumbing to Chinese manipulation or influence.
Key Takeaways from the Session:
- India must leverage the supply chain diversification away from China and aggressively attract high-value investments.
- Building infrastructure, reforming land and labor laws, and skill enhancement are critical prerequisites.
- Strategic autonomy and balanced global partnerships (not China-centric dependencies) must remain central.
- India’s digital economy and manufacturing sectors must be globally competitive, innovative, and resilient.
- China’s model of coercive economics is unsustainable; India must present itself as the trustworthy alternative for the world.
