Beijing's latest five-point action plan for the BRICS grouping has set off alarm bells across New Delhi, with Indian officials and analysts warning that the proposal could open the door to Chinese corporate dominance in Indian markets and pose significant artificial intelligence security challenges.
The plan, unveiled during recent BRICS deliberations, emphasizes deeper economic integration among member nations, expanded trade in local currencies, and joint technological cooperation. While presented as a vision for mutual development, India sees layers of risk beneath the diplomatic language.
At the heart of India's concern is the prospect of tariff reductions or market-access commitments that could allow Chinese goods — already flooding several South Asian economies — to enter Indian markets with fewer barriers. After years of border tensions and strategic rivalry, New Delhi remains deeply wary of any framework that could tilt the economic playing field in Beijing's favour.
Equally unsettling is the technology dimension of the proposal. The plan calls for closer collaboration on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. Indian security establishments have previously flagged AI as a dual-use domain where unchecked Chinese involvement could translate into surveillance capabilities, data exploitation, and infrastructure dependencies that compromise national security.
Sources close to the matter indicated that India intends to raise these objections through multilateral channels, arguing that any BRICS initiative must not come at the expense of member states' regulatory sovereignty. New Delhi has consistently pushed for BRICS to remain a forum for developing-world representation rather than a vehicle for one nation's economic expansion.
The diplomatic friction comes at a sensitive time. India has been steadily diversifying its technology partnerships, deepening ties with Western nations and like-minded democracies while maintaining a cautious approach toward Chinese investment, particularly in digital infrastructure. The government recently tightened foreign-direct-investment screening rules targeting countries sharing land borders with India, a move widely seen as aimed at curbing Chinese capital inflows.
Analysts note that India's stance reflects a broader recalibration: engaging with BRICS pragmatically while safeguarding core strategic interests. Whether New Delhi can preserve its position without fracturing the alliance remains an open question as the bloc prepares for its next major summit.
