India is cautiously weighing the revival of its long-dormant trilateral dialogue with Russia and China, a move seen by analysts as part of New Delhi’s broader strategy to hedge against growing geopolitical volatility and perceived Western double standards. The shift signals a recalibrated approach to foreign policy at a time when India finds itself at odds with the West over energy imports and trade barriers.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, India’s Ministry of External Affairs indicated on July 17 that it remains open to resuming the Russia-India-China (RIC) dialogue, a strategic platform initiated in the early 2000s to promote cooperation among the three Eurasian powers. While no formal date has been set, the ministry described RIC as a “consultative mechanism” for addressing shared regional and global challenges, suggesting a willingness to revisit the format in “a mutually convenient manner.”
The revival of RIC is being considered just weeks after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for the format’s resumption, highlighting it as a legacy of former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov’s vision for a “strategic triangle” among Moscow, Beijing, and New Delhi.
Analysts see India’s interest in the RIC format as a response to increasing pressure from Western partners, particularly the United States and Europe. Sriparna Pathak, a professor of international relations at O.P. Jindal Global University, told South China Morning Post that Western “hypocrisy” over Russian oil imports has frustrated Indian policymakers. She pointed out that while India has been warned about potential secondary sanctions, European nations have continued to buy significant volumes of Russian oil and gas — even exceeding their financial aid to Ukraine.
Pathak also criticized what she described as the “transactional” nature of US-India relations under President Donald Trump, particularly stalled trade negotiations and tariff threats that have targeted India’s agriculture sector. “India chooses its own national interests and will not give in to bullying,” she said.
While India remains wary of aligning too closely with China, especially in the wake of the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, experts suggest New Delhi may be using the prospect of RIC to signal strategic autonomy and keep diplomatic doors open with Beijing.
Ivan Lidarev, a fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies, told SCMP that RIC serves as a “carrot” for Beijing — reassuring China that India is not fully aligned with Washington. He added that India is preparing for a more volatile international landscape, especially with concerns about Trump’s potential return and the impact of new tariffs on Russian oil trade.
“[RIC] allows India to hedge its political and economic bets on the international stage and gives India more engagement options beyond the West,” Lidarev said, adding that the format offers leverage in navigating an unpredictable global order.
India has already begun taking tentative steps toward restoring ties with China, including the recent resumption of tourist visas for Chinese citizens — the first in five years — and discussions around reopening the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage route.
With India set to chair the BRICS group next year, observers believe New Delhi is seeking to position itself as a balancing force in global affairs. Gaurav Kumar, a researcher at the United Service Institution of India, said the RIC platform could serve as a stabilizing mechanism, rather than an alliance, and help de-escalate regional tensions.
“Reviving the RIC offers a stabilising platform that may ease tensions, not escalate them, by fostering dialogue among key regional players,” Kumar noted.
Whether the RIC format will fully reemerge remains to be seen, but India’s recent signals underscore its commitment to preserving strategic flexibility — even as it deepens its ties with the US and other Western partners. As South China Morning Post notes, India’s foreign policy is increasingly defined by pragmatic hedging, rather than alignment with any single bloc.
