A New Superpower

By Dr. D.K. Giri

(Prof of Practice, Institute of Management Bhubaneshwar)

The 21st century will not have one superpower. It will have several centres of power. In that multipolar world, the question is not “Can India become a superpower?” The question is “What kind of superpower will India be?”

To answer that, we must start with assets, not aspirations. India already has five unique assets that no other country can replicate. If we leverage them with intent, the world will have to make space for an Indian century.

Democracy: The World’s Largest Experiment. India is called the “largest democracy.” The Economist Democracy Index often calls it a “flawed democracy.” So is the US. So are many others. There is no universal textbook definition. Democracy is not a machine you import. It is a culture you grow.

Take the basic parameters: regular elections, free press, independent judiciary, functional legislatures. On all counts, India passes. There are one billion voters and peaceful transfer of power every five years. Yes, our institutions face pressure from traditional societal structures. Caste, community, money, muscle — they all try to bend the system. We have to be wary of such pressures.

But this tension exists in every developing democracy. The answer is not to copy the West. The answer is to strengthen institutions in alignment with Indian culture. We need faster courts, not imported courts. We need local self-government with funds and functionaries, not just elections. We need a free press that is also responsible.

A flawed democracy that delivers is better than a perfect democracy on paper. India’s democracy is noisy, messy, and alive. That is the asset. In a world tired of authoritarian efficiency, the world is watching if democracy can deliver development. If India proves it can, we become a model.

Diversity: Unity in Complexity: Almost every country is diverse today. But India is diversity in its purest form. One nation, 28 states, 22 official languages, 1000+ dialects, 6 major religions, every major cuisine and every kind of geography. Europe was monolithic for 300 years — one race, one religion, one language. Globalization is now forcing diversity on them, and they are struggling - riots in Paris, debates in Berlin, populism in Rome.

India has been managing diversity for 5000 years. Not by erasing differences, but by accommodating them. Some time ago, a multi-party delegation from Sweden came to India on my invitation to study how we manage multi-culturalism. They were stunned. Not because we are perfect, but because we have not broken.

The challenge is to keep different social segments in harmony. That requires two things: respect for multiple identities and equality of opportunity. If we get this right, India will teach the world the most needed skill of the 21st century: how to live together differently. Diversity is not a burden. It is a social good. It makes us creative, resilient, and globally relatable. That is soft power no superpower can buy.

Demography: The World’s Skill Capital: People are the ultimate asset. And India has them. We are now the most populous country. More important, we have the world’s largest youth population. 65% of Indians are below 35. While China, Japan, Germany, and Korea are ageing, India is getting younger. The world knows this. That is why Germany, Japan, UAE, and others have signed MoUs with India for skilled manpower. This is our moment to become the world’s “Skill Capital.” Not just IT engineers, but also nurses, welders, teachers, caregivers, semiconductor technicians, green energy workers.

But demography is not destiny. It is a choice. If we don’t skill them, this dividend becomes a disaster. So, we must invest in three things: Education: NEP implementation with industry linkages, skilling: 1 million apprenticeships every year, Mobility: Safe migration, social security agreements, dignity abroad. If India can supply talent to the world with quality and character, we will have friends in every parliament and boardroom. That is real power.

Market: From “Terrible” to Vibrant: a senior Alcatel official once said: “India has wonderful people, but a terrible market.” That line haunted me. Because it was partly true. Today, India is the 5th largest economy. By 2030, we will be 3rd. Our market size is next only to China. But unlike China, we are young, open, and democratic. China’s credibility took a hit post-Covid. Its population is ageing. Investors are looking for “China+1.” India can be that +1, but only if we fix the market.

What does a vibrant market need? Capacity: World-class manufacturing, logistics, ports; Culture: Ease of doing business, contract enforcement, predictable policy; Consumption: Rising incomes, digital payments, aspirational youths; PLI – (Production Linked Incentives) schemes, Digital India, UPI, and GST are steps. But we must go further. Make it easy to start and close a business. Make Indian standards global standards. Make “Made in India” mean quality, not just cost. When the world’s companies can make money in India and with India, they will back India geopolitically too. Markets create allies.

Peace & Non-Violence: Gandhi for a world at War: The world is on fire - Ukraine, West Asia, Taiwan Strait, and Africa. In this chaos, where is the voice for peace? The world knows one Indian name for peace: Mahatma Gandhi. Unarguably, Gandhi is not just India’s Father. He is the world’s Apostle of Non-Violence. Yet, it is a pity that India has not taken a visible lead in brokering peace.

We donate medicines. We send troops for UN peacekeeping. But we don’t lead peace processes. The 21st century needs a new non-violence. Not just absence of war, but presence of justice. India can champion this. On climate, we talk of “climate justice.” On tech, we talk of “digital public goods.” On conflict, we must talk of “dialogue first.” We must revisit Gandhi at home — in schools, in policy, in conduct. And then take Gandhi abroad — as our doctrine for conflict resolution. The world doesn’t need another superpower with aircraft carriers. It needs a superpower with moral authority. That space is vacant. India can fill it.

Culture: The Spirit of Synthesis: This is India’s rarest asset. The dominant Western framework is binary: black or white, right or wrong, friend or enemy. India offers a third space. Our culture is not about conquest. It is about synthesis. We absorbed Greeks, Mughals, British — and still remained Indian. We have Advaita (unity of human beings). We have Bhakti and Vedanta. We have multiple truths.

Swami Vivekananda said it best 130 years ago: “Germany gave Marx. Russia gave the October Revolution. Britain gave Magna Carta. France gave Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. USA gave Free Enterprise. If India has to offer anything to the 21st century, it is the culture of synthesis.” That is what the world needs today: Synthesis between growth and sustainability, synthesis between tradition and technology, synthesis between national interest and global good.

A superpower is not defined only by GDP or aircraft carriers. It is defined by the problems it can solve for the world. The world has problems of democracy, diversity, demography, markets, conflicts and war. India has experience in all six. If we leverage these assets with clarity and confidence, the 21st century will not just have an Indian economy. It will have an Indian idea. — INFA