The 21st century has been called the Asian century and rightly so. The World Economic Forum projects that by 2040 Asia is likely to generate 50% of the world GDP and account for nearly 40% of the global consumption. The engines of this projected economic boom are being driven by the fact that more than half the global population resides on this mammoth continent.
The rapid rise in the per capita income of Asians has been a remarkably fascinating aspect to watch. In this era of rising Asian dominance, many people have mulled over the propitious dream of “pax indica”. The unique social, economic, diplomatic and geostrategic position India presently enjoys grants it a sui generis status across the globe.
India is set to become the most populous country in the world within the coming decade, with a majority of this population within the bounds of the earning category. This will allow India not only to boost its own production but will also allow us to the market workforce as an essential resource of the future.
As more and more Indians educate themselves, they shall be employed in various white-collar jobs and the capacity of essential workers around the globe. Indians shall fill the formwork of healthcare systems, engineering systems amongst others in many developed and developing economies.
As the earnings of these OCIs increases, so do the remittances made by them to their homeland. As the migrated Indian communities earn themselves a better place, they increase the weightage of India in the domestic politics of that nation and also influence a more cordial approach being adopted by that country towards India.
Thus, our increasing population could in the coming times become the engine of the global economy as well and will most assuredly help spread Indian influence and prestige across the globe. A shining example of this is the U.S. 2020 elections which saw Diwali being celebrated within the White House as well.
The vibrant and steady foreign policy being followed by the central government has helped market India as a peaceful democratic nation which believes in the rule of law and treats the world as a family. The charity done by India in South Asia by donating HCQ tabs to many nations has found respect from the various corners of the globe.
India’s staunch stand against terrorism is resonated by many western nations as well. The listing of Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN and the overwhelming support of the fellow nations in helping India elect to the UNSC shows the weightage the world affixes to India.
The importance of U.S., Japan and Australia import to India over rule-based free maritime trade in the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean can be gauged from the wide spectrum Indo-US treaties that were recently signed. India also happens to be an important stakeholder in Afghanistan, developing which will further strengthen Indian position around the globe.
India’s role on the climate front is also consequential for the aging world. India is firmly securing the top position in the solar energy market and would thus make an enormous contribution towards global sustainable development. India’s environmental policies have been lauded by the UN and multiple other agencies. India is undergoing a greener change in its own industries and production systems. This will help India in leading by example and will set India in a leadership position, especially with the sun setting on U.S.’s membership of the Paris accords.
The recent COVID-19 outbreak resulted in China drawing the global ire. Calls were made by various countries to shift the global supply chain to other capable countries whose capacity could be so increased. India should market its capability by advertising the magnanimous increase in production of N95 masks and PPE kits effectuated by India in the short span of COVID onslaught. The companies thinking of shifting bases should be lured by India by lessening the bureaucratic red tape and increasing the ease of doing business.
India needs to cash-in this opportunity by providing infrastructure and resources to these countries. The new labour codes are a step in this direction and so are the farm bills and the deregulation of the essential commodities. Thus, some steps have been taken and some further need to be taken to make the Indian soil fertile for the plantation of these exotic foreign plants.
Besides such robust foreign and pragmatic national policies, India has come into the concept of self-reliance. This can essentially set up supply and demand chains within the Indian bubble and help build up the Indian entrepreneurs and companies. Once this phase is over, these companies can then pollinate and in sequitur bloom around the globe. The path of self-reliance without regressing to isolation will be a difficult tread; however, if done correctly would boost India into the economic hot-seat.
All this, that has been and will be is the result of the fraternity among Indians. A country as varied as India, having a myriad of languages, ethnicities and beliefs has been sewed together by a sturdy thread of vibrant democracy, based on the sacrosanct beliefs enshrined within the Constitution.
At many points of this country’s history, many statesmen and political pundits expected the Indian experiment to fail and descend into chaos. It has been a true privilege to witness the Indian democracy unfold and bloom. This miracle has been a result of the fabled Indian cordiality and fraternity. This hallowed principle has descended from its lofty place in our Constitution to the streets and rivers of India.
We have together overcome the 1965 “official language” riots, the emergency era, the Sikh riots, the Babri Masjid demolition, the Godhra riots and the recent Delhi riots. We have sustained multiple attacks on our sovereignty in the shape of the Mumbai attacks, the illegal Kashmir occupation by enemy combatants and various others.
I believe that we have managed this far and will continue to walk this road because it is we the people who have solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist and a democratic republic.