Editor,
For thousands of years, India has been the centre of human civilization – a hub for trade, religion, history, and culture. It has hosted the largest empire in history, Great Britain. India’s share of the world economy when Britain arrived on its shores was 23% and by the time they left it was down to below 4%. The British had plundered and looted $45 trillion of our resources. Ironically as of 2020, India’s footprint expands in the UK despite the COVID crisis, with a number of Indian companies operating in the UK; the total turnover of these companies added up to GBP 50.8 billion from GBP 41.2 billion. Britain’s dependence on India does not end there. Indians comprise about 1.4 million people in the UK, making up 6.6% of their population. The majority of the Indian population are blue-collared workers that the country depends on.
When Hillary Clinton visited India in 2009, the US Secretary Of State’s verdict was unequivocal: “I consider India not just a regional power, but a global superpower.” What led America’s strongest woman to say that? Well, because it’s actually true. In 2015, India became the world’s fastest-growing economy with a 5% estimated GDP rate. India with a GDP of almost $3 trillion, occupies the 13th spot on the list of countries with massive GDP, international and military alliance, political and economic influence, and leadership skills. India’s purchasing power parity (PPP) is expected to reach $43 trillion and will surpass the US by 2050. By 2040, India is expected to surpass the USA (in PPP terms) and become the second-largest economy. Alongside this Indian emergence, the international order is undergoing significant changes as well, with power increasingly diffused among states. These developments have the potential to put India as the world’s most influential democracy, in the second half of the 21st century
Since 1960, India’s population soared by 209% from 450 million to 1.39 billion people in 2021. Over the coming decades, population growth will continue. By 2027, India’s population is projected to surpass China, making it the most populous country in the world, and by 2050, its population is projected to reach 1.64 billion people. This growth will keep India young and its labour force large. While China, the USA, and Europe’s workforce decline, India’s will grow to provide a major economic advantage.
However, India’s economic growth is not guaranteed, our country’s infrastructure which is key to attracting investments and fuelling further development is largely inadequate. To improve India’s infrastructure to foster economic growth, it is pursuing mega large-scale projects such as the $30 billion, Mumbai-Delhi Industrial Corridor which will have rail lines, airports, highways, smart cities, power projects, etc. India hopes to develop several more corridors between major cities. These corridors along with other projects will form a golden quadrilateral of infrastructure
India is also pursuing a $75 billion national highways program called “Bharatmala” to upgrade and boost expressways. Along with this, it has also created “Sagarmala” a $116 billion program to build and upgrade mega ports and establish 14 Coastal Economic Zones. India is constructing new cities to attract investments such as Dholera in Gujarat, a GIFT city, and two brand new greenfield smart cities. India is also developing a $2.2 billion airport project in Mumbai
Despite all these optimistic trends and predictions, India still has some major problems to overcome. First of all, climate change presents a huge threat. India has the largest social cost of carbon in the world, emitting 1 ton of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, India’s is $86 per ton. In India, climate change has caused heat waves and sea levels to rise causing devastation. Lastly, air pollution is causing serious health issues. In the 2021 report, 3 of India’s major cities were listed in the Top 10. Lastly in terms of social division, India is still fighting to remove the legacy of its age-old caste system. Many of the so-called low-class individuals lack education, proper healthcare, and economic opportunities.
Despite all these issues, India is developing quickly in the realm of economic, military, cultural, and political influences are expanding every day, setting it up for Global Superpower status
Yours etc.,
Lyzander Edgar Sohkhlet
St Edmund’s School,
Shillong