‘If you can’t beat them, join them’: Uday Kotak backs China investment, manufacturing JVs in India

Uday Kotak, founder and director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, has called on India to remain open to Chinese investment and manufacturing partnerships, arguing that the country needs to diversify its sources of capital amid shifting global trade relationships. Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum 2026 in New Delhi on Tuesday, Kotak said Indian companies partnering with Chinese firms could help expand domestic manufacturing, drawing a parallel with China’s earlier strategy of collaborating with American companies. “For India, if you can’t beat them, join them,” Kotak said, adding that Chinese companies should be welcome to participate in India’s Make in…