India The Superpower
by Pieternel Gruppen 27-12-2006
by Pieternel Gruppen 27-12-2006
India is rapidly emerging as a major economic force in the global arena. India is the world's largest democracy, it's the second most populous country in the world and has one of the fastest-growing economies. it's an increasingly dynamic member of the international community. Nevertheless, in spite of the big economic success alot of Indians still live in considerable poverty.
The centre of New Delhi brims over with energy. More and more international companies are opening their offices in the Indian capital to benefit from the economic growth which this year reached almost nine percent.
People
It's the people of India who are behind the economic progress, says Dutch businesswoman, Tina Uneken, corporate Director of Bhart Airtel, India's leading provider of telecommunications services.
"I have never seen before such consolidation, ambition and enthusiasm and such determination to make things happen. Over the last four or five years I have seen a change. As the world started to take note of India, people have become more confident and they have started to reflect on themselves and say: 'Hey, is this India, is this us and are we capable of doing this?'. That makes all the difference."
Growth
Economic growth started in 1991 when the government decided to liberalise the economy. The technological revolution in the late 1990s did the rest. But not everyone benefits. Street children, knocking on the windows of cars stuck in traffic, remind the CEOs and expats of Delhi of the country's poverty:
India now has as many as 26 billionaires but at the same time 300 million Indians survive on less than a dollar a day. Almost three million children die annually as a result of poor nutrition and easily preventable illness. The India of today is only shining for a few. Inequality exists between states in the south and the north, between urban and rural areas, between rich and poor.
Bad governance
Millions of people are lagging behind because of bad governance says Tarun Tejpal, editor in chief and publisher of Tehelka, a leading Indian newspaper:
"We are usually hampered by governance. How will government deliver? Government will deliver when civil society and media holds it to account. We placed too much faith in a kind of bureaucracy at a certain point in time."
"But the bureaucracy has not delivered at the level we thought it would. And we were not able to hold it to account."
Not only bad governance but also bad education are often singled out as hampering India's growth. The public education system is in a poor state with fewer than ten percent of children making it to tertiary education.
Struggling
According to Dutch businesswoman Tina Uneken, international companies are still struggling to get people who can perform the jobs. An equal chance for a good life for everyone, that is, according to education rights activist Shabnam Ramaswamy the only condition to becoming a real superpower:
"I will be really thrilled and proud if we are a superpower when we will have a more equal society with equal opportunities. At the moment I am ashamed and sick of the term superpower. If we have a more just world then we would be a superpower - not because of our military or technical power - then I will be a much prouder Indian."
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