Time? How much more time does India need?
India was ahead of China in GDP per capita in 1980 to 1990. Why did China grew rapidly since then but India didn't? India had plenty of time from 1947 to surge ahead of China. India had so many "advantages" over China since independence, namely:
1) Industries, companies, institutions, and infrastructure left behind by the British Raj.
2) A large pool of Western-educated professionals. Continued access to obtain education in the West.
3) Favourable geopolitical climate. India can count on both the West and the Soviets for assistance and praise. India had the privilege of calling for food aid when it suffered from famines. India had plenty of help from Western companies and individuals to help with its R&D. India always had access to generous capital and technologies from both the West and the Soviets. In the 1980s, the Western commentators predict that India, not China who will become the next Superpower. Yeah right!
India was technically ahead of China for quite a few decades in the Cold War. Why then is India the laggard today? Why is India's economy 1/5th the size of the Chinese economy today? India suffers no significant issues with the West and Russia. No one is throwing sanctions and trade restrictions at India, not even China! India has a sizable English-speaking population, hence India can communicate with the English-language world better. Apparently, everybody "loves" India today. India now has that super duper PM, 56-in chest Narendra Modi in charge. Why hasn't India blitzed China and take over the world? How many more decades does India need to become a Supapowa? Everyone is bored already, waiting for India to fulfil its destiny.
India had Western support for much of its history since 1947. Where has that gotten India today? I don't buy that myth that Western support alone can turn a nation into a superpower. Western support is useful, but its what you do with it that matters. Singapore and Malaysia had plenty of Western support. Singapore did well and became a first world country, but Malaysia f**ked it all up and remained a third world country. And Malaysia was the one that was touted to have the much greater potential. The Philippines had much more Western support than Vietnam. Even its economy was ahead of Vietnam's economy for some time. But today, it is behind Vietnam's economy by some distance.
Western support is only as good as you can use it. Use it well, and you can grow into an economic powerhouse. Squander it, and you'll remain a poor nation with time running out. India had squandered all that generous Western (and Soviet) support that it has received over the decades. India is getting a vanishingly slim second chance today, but it is already squandering it. Gangster economic policies, brain drain, no coherent development plan, religion over science, Jai Hind mentality, arrogance, complacency, venal mentality, sexual depravity, immaturity, more talking than working. I can go on and on. The way India is going today, all that Western support is not gonna work. The mindset of the Indian elites and their supporters today is totally unsuitable for nation building.
