What will the world economy – indeed, the world – look like after the financial crisis is over? Will this prove to be a mere blip or something more fundamental? Much of the answer will be provided by the performance of the two Asian giants, China and India. Rightly or wrongly, it is widely accepted that China will continue to grow very rapidly. But what is the likely future for India?
I attended debates on this question in Mumbai and Delhi two weeks ago. The occasion was the launch of a report prepared by the Centennial Group for this year’s Emerging Markets Forum.* It addresses a provocative question: what would need to change if India were to become an affluent country in one generation? The answer is: a great deal. But one thing is clear: after the performance of the past three decades, the goal is not laughable.
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