India–China in the Global South: The Battle for Trust, Influence, and Leadership

The Global South has emerged as the central arena where the future balance of global power will be decided—and India and China are competing not just for influence, but for legitimacy. This strategic intelligence product by Global Eye Intelligence delivers a comprehensive, region-by-region assessment of how both powers are positioning themselves across Africa, West Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Central Asia, and the Pacific.

The analysis contrasts China’s infrastructure-heavy, debt-driven, and trade-centric approach with India’s emphasis on diplomacy, trust-building, democratic values, and partnership-based engagement. It highlights how Beijing’s expansive footprint—through ports, pipelines, technology standards, and financing—has generated scale but also backlash, transparency concerns, and sovereignty anxieties. Simultaneously, the report examines India’s challenge: converting goodwill, cultural affinity, and strategic restraint into sustained economic and geopolitical leverage.

Crucially, this product moves beyond description to assess implications for India’s security, energy access, maritime posture, regional connectivity, and diplomatic space. Scenario frameworks outline best-case, most-likely, and worst-case outcomes, while strategic recommendations identify where India must act decisively to avoid strategic marginalisation.

Why this matters now: the Global South is no longer a passive arena—it is choosing sides based on credibility and outcomes. Those who understand this competition early can anticipate alignment shifts before they solidify.

Follow Global Eye Intelligence to stay ahead of geopolitical contests that will define leadership in the developing world for decades to come.