British involvement in India developed mainly through the cooperation of India's people. However, coercion led to compliance and this may yet be interpreted as cooperation. From a social perspective the British had no choice but to successfully adapt in India in order to gain both trust and ultimately cooperation. Without this cooperation, the British would not have been able to remain in India.
Yet, in the later years of the Raj, there was in fact, much less social mixing. This was in part, due to the arrival of Victorian women in India (1820s). Economic cooperation must also have been substantial otherwise the British would not have remained there. Nor would the British government have taken financial risks with India.
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