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India Must Engage China Strategically, Says Kotak Amid US Trade Tensions

Industrialist Uday Kotak has advocated for India to maintain pragmatic engagement with China on investment and trade, cautioning against over-reliance on Western capital as US protectionist policies intensify.

LSN India · 13 October 2026

With escalating trade tensions between the United States and other nations reshaping global investment flows, prominent Indian business leader Uday Kotak has called for a recalibration of India's approach to capital attraction, emphasizing the need to keep diplomatic and economic channels with China open.

Kotak argued that India has historically tilted too heavily towards Western markets and investors for capital inflows, a dependency that leaves the nation vulnerable to shifts in US policy and external economic pressures. He advocated for a more balanced, transactional strategy that does not exclude major Asian economies from India's investment calculus.

The remarks come as global trade dynamics undergo significant shifts. Rising US protectionism and widening geopolitical rifts have prompted policymakers and business leaders across Asia to reassess traditional investment partnerships and explore alternative capital sources to sustain economic growth.

Kotak's position reflects a pragmatic business perspective on navigating an increasingly fractured global economy. Rather than ideological positioning, his argument centers on maximizing India's economic interests through diversified investment channels and maintaining flexibility in international economic relations.