China-India Dialogue in Mumbai Highlights the Growing Role of Culture in BRICS Engagement

As India prepares to host the 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi, efforts to strengthen people-to-people understanding between BRICS nations are gaining renewed relevance. In Mumbai, a recent China-India dialogue brought together students, educators and representatives of the Chinese diplomatic mission around a combination of geopolitical discussion and cultural exchange.

The third China-India BRICS Dialogue and Exchange and Chinese Film Screening was jointly organised by the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai, Sathaye College and the India China Academy on August 29. Nearly 200 teachers and students attended the event, which included a screening of the Chinese animated film I Am What I Am.

Chinese Consul General Qin Jie attended the programme and used the occasion to underline the wider significance of BRICS cooperation and China-India engagement.

The event comes at a time when BRICS is evolving beyond its original configuration and becoming an increasingly important platform for cooperation among emerging economies and countries of the Global South. With India holding the 2026 BRICS Chairship, discussions around economic cooperation, sustainable development, technology, education and cultural understanding are likely to receive greater international attention. For India and China, however, the relationship carries additional complexity.

The two countries have extensive economic and civilisational links, alongside differences that have periodically affected bilateral relations. Against that backdrop, cultural and educational exchanges can provide an avenue for engagement that operates outside formal government-to-government negotiations.

Qin highlighted the historical depth of China-India relations and encouraged young people in both countries to strengthen communication and deepen mutual understanding. His message placed students at the centre of longer-term bilateral engagement, describing young people as potential ambassadors for friendship between the two countries. That emphasis is strategically significant.

The future of India-China relations will not be shaped solely by diplomatic agreements or trade flows. Universities, businesses, technology communities, cultural organisations and younger generations will also influence how the two societies understand one another.

Sathaye College Vice Principal Dr. Salvi and India China Academy Principal Nishith similarly highlighted cultural exchange as a tool for building mutual understanding. Both institutions expressed an interest in continuing cooperation with Chinese counterparts in education and culture. Film was an especially accessible component of the event.

The screening of I Am What I Am provided participants with an opportunity to experience contemporary Chinese culture through popular storytelling rather than through formal presentations or policy discussions. Such exchanges can offer audiences a more personal understanding of another society, particularly among younger participants who may have limited direct exposure to it.

For BRICS, this people-to-people dimension is becoming increasingly relevant as the grouping expands its role in the global economic and political landscape.

The organisation has evolved from a grouping primarily associated with emerging-market economic cooperation into a broader platform addressing issues affecting the Global South. Its expansion also creates a wider network of potential relationships across education, tourism, technology, trade and cultural industries.

India’s 2026 Chairship provides an opportunity to use that expanded platform to deepen connections beyond official summits.

Mumbai, as one of India’s major financial and cultural centres, is a natural setting for such engagement. The city’s universities and business communities provide an ecosystem where international exchange can connect directly with younger professionals and future decision-makers.

The China-India BRICS event therefore offers a reminder that international relations are built not only in conference rooms. They are also shaped in classrooms, cinemas and cultural institutions, where people encounter one another without the formal structures of diplomacy. For India, strengthening such channels could become increasingly important as the country takes a larger role in shaping BRICS and the broader Global South conversation.

The challenge will be converting cultural engagement into sustained understanding. That requires continued exchanges, educational partnerships and opportunities for young people to participate directly. The Mumbai event is a modest but meaningful example of that process, bringing together diplomacy, education and culture at a moment when India’s international role is expanding.