ESSAY PROMPT : Is India a great power like China and the US?

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India's green revolution in the 1960s transitioned the nation from subsistence agriculture to
mechanized farming, paving a new era of a heavy industry-based Indian economy, until the 1980s, as
the country further evolved, shifting its focus towards a knowledge-based economy, with an emphasis
on the tertiary and quaternary sectors. As such, while China became the “world’s workshop”, India
emerged as its “office”. Geographer, Gerard Dorel, characterizes a great power by its territorial,
demographic, and economic weight, as well as its ability to exert lasting influence over the entire
planet in economic, cultural, and diplomatic terms. India's rise as a great power, in competition with
China and the US, relies on its military might, economic growth, and geopolitical influence
worldwide through soft power.

According to the IMF, India's economy is expected to be the world's fastest-growing in 2023,
surpassing the US and China’s growth rates. Currently, the 6th-largest economy, with a GDP of over
$2.8 trillion, it is expected to be the 3rd-largest by 2030. Whilst the services sector, mainly
information technology, is currently leading economic growth, by contributing 58% to GDP; Narendra
Modi's 'Make in India 2014' campaign yearns to diversify the Indian economy through areas like
automobiles, textiles and chemicals to boost manufacturing and increase employment rates in new
industries.

Additionally, India, since the early 2000s, has become an attractive destination for foreign direct
investment (FDI) and outsourcing due to its English-speaking, youthful, and inexpensive labor force,
with companies like Apple and Foxconn considering expansion through a relocation or offshoring of
their manufacturing facilities.

India’s economic growth fuels military spending, modernization such as AI and cyber warfare and
bolsters its technological prowess, (evident in its independent nuclear arsenal development in the
1970s). This results in regional power projection, particularly in the Indian Ocean, through naval
advanced weaponry equipment (e.g : ballistic missiles and its two aircraft carriers). Additionally, its
influential diaspora and strategic partnerships like the 2016 contract with Dassault Aviation for 36
Rafale fighter jets has boosted Franco-Indian cooperation, highlighting India's objective to strengthen
its military and geopolitical power.

Moreover, India's successful economy has expanded its diplomatic influence, making it a
highly-relevant actor and host in both regional and international organizations, like the G20, the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2023, and the BRICS summits. India's growing economic links
with other countries, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, have also enabled it to counterbalance
China's authoritarian model and attract various investments and partnerships with democracies
promoting a multipolar world order, as epitomized by the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue)
grouping, uniting the US, Japan, and Australia. After its political liberalization, India, the world’s
most populated country as of 2022 with 1.41 billion - surpassing China - is slowly finding its place on
the geopolitical stage. Its higher education system, with a specialization in engineering and IT, has
produced powerful alumni like Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet. India’s dilemma lies in the challenge
of encouraging students to gain knowledge abroad, while ensuring they return to transfer skills.
However, the Indian diaspora contributes significantly to the country through cultural diffusion and
remittances sent by expatriates, reaching a high of $58 billion in 2011-2012. Despite India’s ‘brain
drain’ concern, the ongoing evolution of its economy has created new opportunities, prompting some
students to substitute the allure of higher salaries abroad for a return in India to work from overseas
studies, thanks to initiatives like the 'Return to India' and 'Back to Bangalore' policies and the thriving
start-up ecosystem.

Yet despite India’s overall upwards trajectory in recent years, it still faces internal struggles, including
poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, inadequate infrastructure and environmental damages, which
may hinder its economic growth and postpone its global recognition. Moreover, tensions with
neighboring countries like China and Pakistan over border disputes and deeply-rooted religious
antagonisms destabilize and pose a threat of conflict. The persistence of regional and gender literacy
disparities due to its federalism, along with weakened democratic institutions, have been conducive to
politicians’ corruption and self-interest. The “license raj” system along with successive government
failures - by suppressing private entrepreneurship and neglecting public goods - reveals the deep-roots
of the issues, lying in democratic dysfunction, religious majoritarianism, the weak separation of
powers, and censored media.

While India has become an influential player in global affairs, it is not yet universally recognized as a
"great power" fully aligned with the US or China models due to the internal issues it faces. However,
its efforts to strengthen both its hard and soft power suggest a promising trajectory towards acquiring
this status.