Arzan Tarapore has a valuable analysis of where India-China ties stand now, and what choices present themselves to India now that there has been some measure of stabilization in the border dispute:
“The lasting impact of the Ladakh crisis should be measured in three dimensions. First, the crisis compelled India to intensify its military balance on the Line of Actual Control, but it remains unclear whether that has strengthened its conventional deterrence against China. Second, the crisis compelled India to reinforce its northern border at the expense of military modernization and naval force projection in the Indian Ocean. It remains to be seen whether that change will be reversed. Finally, the Ladakh crisis cratered India’s relationship with China and nudged it towards closer cooperation with the United States. The trajectory of India’s relations with both Beijing and Washington also remains an open question.
In each of these dimensions, the effects of the crisis between India and China that began in 2020 will be felt for many years.”
Paul Staniland 