Is India ready to be a superpower?
Union minister for road transport and highways Kamal Nath on Tuesday launched a book Superpower? The amazing race between China’s Hare and India’s Tortoise, written by Raghav Bahl, founder and editor of Network 18, in the national capital.
The non-fiction book provides excellent insights into two of the most evolving global economies — Indian and Chinese, undergoing a transformational shift in the race of becoming the next global superpower. The book reiterates whether India is ready for the superpower status or not and we are behind in the game of catching-up with China.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Nath said, “It is not a fight between India and China for becoming the superpower, rather we should go hand in hand to achieve the superpower status in the world. India lacks infrastructural deficit, whereas, China has explored this area, thereby moving fast forward in the path of superpower.”
Mr Bahl said, “Just two decades ago, India and China were on equal footing, but now see China and India, China has gone ahead of India. India’s GDP was bigger than China in 1978, but they have opened their avenues to explore their social sectors to march in the path of progress. The book is indeed a critical commentary on the political economy of India challenged by China to race her.”
He also said that China has invested 50 per cent of their GDP in infrastructure, especially, social infrastructure like health, education and agriculture, but India has not done much progress in these areas. India has lately opened up its FDI, whereas China has done it in 2000.
The book launch was attended by dignitaries such as Nandan Nilekani, chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI), M. Damodaran, former chairman, SEBI, Bimal Jalan, former governor of RBI and Shekhar Gupta, editor-in-chief of The Indian Express.
Post new comment