This is a really insightful question, and I've discussed it with one of my Indian friends before. It's a bit complex, so I'll elaborate a bit more.

Around 3 years ago, people in China were really friendly and held a highly positive opinion of India. This was mainly because they perceived India as another Asian country with which China shared numerous cultural similarities, like Buddhism. We introduced a lot of Bollywood movies (the former Chairman Jiang was a big fan of arts/movies/music, and I believe China had a strong fanbase for Aamir Khan). Additionally, Indian food restaurants were all over places like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and they're still around today.

Things took a little turn when China and India had a conflict at the border I think. I still recall that during that period, a lot of social media in China were promoting narratives that described China as the victim and propagated the idea that we wouldn't take action until a certain point. Over the span of around 2-3 months, about 30% of the people (mostly ordinary citizens) became more aggressive towards India. Another 30% remained skeptical of the Chinese media's narratives, and 40% remained relatively indifferent. Also I think economic interactions between China and India also decreased significantly after the Modi government.

At present, I sense a restoration of normalcy. However, due to a more constrained atmosphere in China (I'm sure you understand what I'm referring to, the political climate has influenced various aspects—like the reduced import of foreign films), India has gradually receded from the public's attention. This might also be attributed to the decline in trade with India (my assumption).

In general, most CN people view India as the same large country with a population similar to China and Indians are perceived as skilled in programming, with many holding high positions in the Bay Area. Politically, many CN ppl don;t like the Modi government (many CN ppl dont like the current CN governmet as well).

In personal, I like Indian ppl. Given our shared cultural elements, during our time in the US, while others would split bills, we'd like more to take turns covering expenses. We can have rice every meal and share dishes that many Americans wouldn;t even want to try.

I think I have typed quite a bit and hope it covers things you're interested. One thing I need to mention is that CN ppl are more knowledgeable to India than you might imagine, let me find my photo of making panipuris and I'll upload it here sooner.