 (8).png)
2 weeks ago
3
ARTICLE AD BOX
Summary
As India joins the big GDP league, China’s ascent is what we must compare our progress with; after all, it holds geopolitical and economic policy implications. The key is to learn the right lessons and address weaknesses we won’t be able to resolve later.
As estimated, 2025 gave India fourth rank among economies, placing us in the world’s top club, though with the US, EU and China still some multiples ahead in size.
As expected, 2026 will see a census begin that’s likely to place India on top by population, displacing China, whose economy is almost five times India’s.
As Beijing gets globally assertive, this is not just the comparison we must track, but a reminder of what’s at stake in a world of power asymmetry.
The past year saw the US take a statist turn and China shrug off charges of warping world trade.
While China’s rise has brought industrial policy into vogue and market economics may seem in retreat on several fronts, we mustn’t forget that it didn’t just mobilize people for its success, but also used fierce market rivalry to get ahead (with clean-tech, for example), both externally and internally.
As India tigerishly outpaces its output even without the aid of an export boom, we arguably need more market orientation, not less.
Yet, the state must also invest heavily in health and education for all, lest consumer markets face premature saturation.
With India now in the top club, let’s focus on the glaring gaps we must close by 2047.
English (US) ·