Jagannath Panda spoke at King’s College in London on “China–India in BRICS Plus: Convergence Without Trust”

May 13, 2026: Dr. Jagannath Panda, Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, spoke at King’s College in London on “China–India in BRICS Plus: Convergence Without Trust”. This event was attended by diplomats, professors, scholars, and students. Dr. Zeno Leoni and Dr. Rishika Chauhan moderated the event and steered the conversation. More details about the event can be seen here.

This talk by Dr. Panda contextualised that China–India engagement within BRICS Plus reflects a strategic convergence shaped less by bilateral trust and more by structural compulsions, particularly the stabilising role of Russia and a shared interest in reforming the Western-led international order. Despite deep-seated geopolitical rivalries, both Beijing and New Delhi find common ground in resisting Western dominance and advocating for a more representative, multipolar framework of global governance. The presentation highlighted how Russia functions as a critical balancer, enabling limited China–India coordination within BRICS Plus. Dr. Panda also had a meeting with Jim O’Neill, the former UK Treasury minister and a former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, who coined the term BRIC(S).