Event Report: Close-Door Roundtable Discussion on India-China Economic and Business Relations

By Abia Fathima, Research Officer, C3S

12th November, 2025, Wednesday

Speakers: Dr. P.S. Srinivas, Dr. Frank N. Pieke, Sunil Rallan, TV Krishnamurthy

Moderator: Commodore RS Vasan

Others present: Annunthra Rangan, Senior Research Officer, Shilpa Susan John, Research Officer, Mary Sony K, Research Officer, Arul Braighta, Research Officer, Abia Fathima Part-time Research Officer

The Chennai Centre for China Studies (C3S) conducted a closed door round-table discussion with Dr. P.S. Srinivas, Visiting Research Professor, National University of Singapore (NUS) on the broad topic of India-China economic and business relations in 2025. The discussion was moderated by Commodore RS Vasan, Director General, Chennai Centre for China Studies. Present in the discussion were Dr. Frank N. Pieke, visiting Research Professor, National University of Singapore (NUS), Sunil Rallan, Managing Director, J Matadee Free Trade Zone, Chennai and T.V Krishnamurty, Investment Banker and Management Professional, and Research officers of C3S.

The discussion commenced with a welcome note from Commodore Vasan, highlighting the key economic, business and geopolitical events seen in the India-China arena from earlier this year. He also signified the growing deterrence with the US amidst President Trump’s policies and the limitations the trade war has brought upon India.

The discussion revolved around the India-China economic relations, the disruption of bilateral relations since the Galwan Attacks, and the steady increase in bilateral trade since then. A reflection of Chinese perspectives on India was also discussed, and the significance of the US, in the indirect facilitation of Chinese resilience in a marginalised geopolitical arena, was also debated.

It was concluded that India-China relations across all spheres had reached a saturation point where the lines between politics, economics, business and power struggle had blurred, leading to an international deterrence which defied the traditional principles and theories which directed the roadmaps of policymakers and scholars in India and across.