‘The West is fostering India as an alternative to reduce dependence on China’s supply chain and as a strategic ally to counter China’s political and economic dominance.’ Explain this statement with examples.
Approach · directive: “explain”
What it asks · Explain the Western 'de-risking from China' and strategic-partnership logic behind engaging India, with concrete examples and India's own caveats.
The question has 3 parts — answer each
- Explain: why the West is fostering India as a supply-chain alternative to China — with examples
- Explain: India as a strategic partner to counter China's political and economic dominance — with examples
- Add India's caveats: strategic autonomy and remaining dependence on China
Open with · The pandemic and US–China rivalry pushed Western economies to 'de-risk' from China, making India a preferred manufacturing and strategic partner.
Cover
- Supply chains: Apple's suppliers expanding iPhone assembly in India; Micron's semiconductor facility in Gujarat; PLI schemes attract such shifts.
- Technology: the US–India iCET (2023), India's entry into the Minerals Security Partnership (2023), the EU–India Trade and Technology Council.
- Defence: Quad cooperation, GE–HAL jet engine co-production plan, foundational agreements (LEMOA, COMCASA, BECA), 2+2 dialogues.
- Connectivity: the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (2023) as an alternative to the Belt and Road.
- Resilience initiatives: Supply Chain Resilience Initiative with Japan and Australia.
- Caveats: India guards strategic autonomy (Russia ties, BRICS, SCO) and still depends on Chinese inputs such as APIs and electronics.
Close with · India gains from Western de-risking, but should use it to build domestic capability while keeping its strategic autonomy.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2024, GS Paper II — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 203 words (UPSC limit 150) · Minimalist IAS
The pandemic and US–China rivalry pushed Western economies to 'de-risk' from China; India, with a large market and a democratic polity, has become their preferred alternative for manufacturing and for strategic partnership.
Supply-chain alternative
- Electronics: Apple's suppliers have expanded iPhone assembly in India, aided by production-linked incentive schemes; Micron is building a semiconductor assembly and test plant in Gujarat.
- Technology and minerals: the US–India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET, 2023), India's entry into the Minerals Security Partnership (2023), and the EU–India Trade and Technology Council.
- Resilience: the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative with Japan and Australia.
Strategic partner against Chinese dominance
- Security: the Quad, foundational agreements (LEMOA, COMCASA, BECA), 2+2 dialogues, and the GE–HAL plan to co-produce fighter-jet engines in India.
- Connectivity: the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (2023) as an alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative.
India's caveats
- India guards strategic autonomy — ties with Russia, BRICS and the SCO — and rejects an alliance framework.
- Dependence persists: China remains a major source of electronics and pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), so de-risking is gradual.
Western de-risking gives India an opening; converting it into lasting gain needs domestic capacity, ease of doing business and a foreign policy that stays autonomous rather than aligned.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.