India's China strategy after Galwan: minilateral and multilateral soft balancing in the Indo-Pacific

Abstract Since mid-2020, following a deadly clash between Chinese and Indian troops on the Line of Actual Control, New Delhi has developed a new strategy for managing its northern neighbour. This article argues that one hitherto overlooked element of this strategy is the systematic soft balancing of China's power in a series of multilateral and minilateral groupings, including the Russia–India–China (RIC) trilateral, the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the India–Brazil–South Africa (IBSA) grouping. In each, New Delhi has deployed different soft balancing tactics—here termed denial, delay, trivalization and exclusion—to undermine China's power and frustrate Beijing's pursuit of its diplomatic agendas. This article analyses India's behaviour in each of these forums by reference to official statements, media reports, and interviews with and comment from Indian leaders, as well as contemporary analysis, exploring how and why India has chosen to use different tactics in different forums. It argues that the evidence suggests New Delhi has carefully selected its tactics depending on the perceived importance and usefulness of the specific forum to India's interests.