As the BRICS community continues to expand and deepen multilateral cooperation, global economic competition is gradually shifting from traditional goods trade to modern service trade. For emerging economies seeking long-term, inclusive and sustainable development, service trade has become a core bond that connects industrial upgrading, digital transformation and people’s well-being. Within the BRICS framework, China and India, as the two largest developing economies in the bloc, boast distinctive and complementary service industry strengths, creating enormous potential for joint growth and South-South cooperation.

India has long established unique global advantages in modern service sectors. As a world-renowned service powerhouse, India leads in information technology services, digital solutions, pharmaceutical consulting, professional outsourcing and cross-border creative services. Its large pool of skilled English-speaking professionals, mature digital public infrastructure and globally recognized service standards have laid a solid foundation for high-value cross-border service trade. India’s service sector not only supports its own rapid economic modernization but also provides professional, cost-effective and scalable service resources for global industrial chains.

China presents equally powerful and complementary strengths in service trade. China excels in infrastructure services, cross-border logistics, financial services, cultural and tourism trade, engineering services and digital platform services. With complete industrial supporting systems, large-scale market demand and mature international service delivery experience, China can provide systematic, standardized and large-scale service support for BRICS industrial cooperation, cross-border investment and connectivity building.

The economic structures of China and India are highly compatible in service trade cooperation. While India dominates high-end professional and digital services, China leads in systematic industrial services and market-oriented comprehensive services. This complementarity enables the two countries to move beyond simple trade exchanges and jointly build a more resilient regional service industry chain. Under the BRICS multilateral mechanism, such bilateral synergy can further radiate to all member states, promoting balanced, green and sustainable development across the bloc.

In recent years, BRICS countries have reached wide consensus on advancing digital service trade, trade facilitation and small and medium-sized enterprise cooperation. Facing rising global unilateralism and trade protectionism, BRICS members are committed to safeguarding the multilateral trading system and promoting open, inclusive economic globalization. Service trade cooperation has become the most flexible, dynamic and promising field to drive new growth momentum.

For future BRICS sustainable development, deepening service trade integration carries profound practical significance. First, it helps all member states upgrade industrial structures, accelerate digital transformation and reduce reliance on traditional resource-driven growth models. Second, cross-border service cooperation facilitates technological exchange, talent mobility and experience sharing, improving the overall competitiveness of emerging economies. Third, service trade closely connects people’s livelihoods, covering education, healthcare, tourism and digital public services, enabling BRICS cooperation to deliver tangible benefits to ordinary people.

Looking ahead, BRICS countries should further open service sectors, optimize cross-border service supervision, strengthen digital service standard coordination, and expand local currency settlement in service transactions. By fully leveraging the complementary advantages between India and China, the bloc can build a closer, more efficient and innovative service trade cooperation ecosystem.

Driven by service trade, BRICS will continue to grow into an important force leading global sustainable development, empowering the collective revitalization of all developing countries.

Professor Li Jiashan
Beijing International Studies University
President of China institute for service trade