The Myth of India as a Great Power

[IBSA]

The Myth of India as a Great Power
Plus, Fukuyama on dealing with China and Xi Jinping as China's new imperial president. Pacific Realist links.

By Zachary Keck
October 25, 2014

In the forthcoming issue of The National Interest, Raja Mehon has an article arguing that those who hail India as a great power are badly mistaken. Of India's great power potential: "The road is long, the advance slow and the arrival date uncertain."

Gordon Chang is more optimistic now that Modi is in power, writing: "Move over, China. In a decade, India could have both the world's biggest population and fastest-growing major economy. Yes, it's premature, but we can see why Modi talks about our era as 'India's century.'"

Friend of The Diplomat, Harry J. Kazianis, has an interesting new China Policy Institute paper on Air-Sea Battle.

On Real Clear Defense, Mackenzie Eaglen and Charles Morrison argue that China's cyber espionage is most certainly eroding America's military superiority.

Over at Stanford, Francis Fukuyama has a new grand strategy paper on "Dealing with China."

Meanwhile, in the new edition of Foreign Affairs, Elizabeth Economy has an excellent essay on Xi Jinping as China's new imperial president.

Also in Foreign Affairs, Richard Haass on how the U.S. should deal with the unraveling of the post-Cold War international system.

The Jamestown Foundation's new China Brief has articles on a South China Sea ADIZ, the Sino-Japanese thaw and the patronage network of Hu Jintao.

The Lowy Institute analyzes the reinvention of former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has just taken over the Asia Society's new policy institute.

The Myth of India as a Great Power | The Diplomat

 

[IBSA]

My posts dont represents necessarily my opinion. My posts serves only to discussion.

What Indians think?

I disagree with text.

 

[Ashutosh Lokhande]

My posts dont represents necessarily my opinion. My posts serves only to discussion.

What Indians think?

I disagree with text.

i agree we not superpower yet and surely not near china. but under this new non coalition govt india sure goin to close the gap a lil faster.

 

[pmaitra]

Don't just go by the title. Let's look at the quotes:

• "The road is long, the advance slow and the arrival date uncertain."
• "Move over, China. In a decade, India could have both the world's biggest population and fastest-growing major economy. Yes, it's premature, but we can see why Modi talks about our era as 'India's century.'"

 

[josh67]

Right reforms need to be done at right time.....
Exerting influence in major geo-political situations
Making defence sector more and more indegenious.
Non-popular and bold decisions need to be made.

Following them could make india a considerable superpower in a time period of 15 years.......

 

[DingDong]

India might not become the next "Great Power" but what is wrong in trying? At least we can work hard to achieve better living conditions at par with the western economies for our citizens while chasing the "Great Power" dream. At least we would be able to say that "we tried".

 

[Hari Sud]

Had there been no UPA-2, no Anthony as Defence Minister and no congressman grabbing national,wealth and depositing it in foreign banks in last five years, then India's GDP would have risen from 5% to 9%. That four percent higher GDP per year for the last four years would give India $10 trillion in GDP (PPP) instead of $6.7 trillion (IMF and World Bank figure) in 2013.

Alas we had a non performing UPA-2. All those steps and more which NDA is taking now could have been taken by them.

To give you a comparison China's PPP basis GDP is $16.4 trillion. That would be not much higher considering China exporting 40 to 45% of its GDP.

Now India has to perform at 9% growth for ten years before Indian economy begins to look like China, less exports.

 

[asianobserve]

Here's the actual article:

The India Myth | The National Interest

It's 8 pages long and I haven't read it.

 

[CCP]

Had there been no UPA-2, no Anthony as Defence Minister and no congressman grabbing national,wealth and depositing it in foreign banks in last five years, then India's GDP would have risen from 5% to 9%. That four percent higher GDP per year for the last four years would give India $10 trillion in GDP (PPP) instead of $6.7 trillion (IMF and World Bank figure) in 2013.

Alas we had a non performing UPA-2. All those steps and more which NDA is taking now could have been taken by them.

To give you a comparison China's PPP basis GDP is $16.4 trillion. That would be not much higher considering China exporting 40 to 45% of its GDP.

Now India has to perform at 9% growth for ten years before Indian economy begins to look like China, less exports.

Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) | Data | Table

Where is your number come from?

 

[Kshatriya87]

My posts dont represents necessarily my opinion. My posts serves only to discussion.

What Indians think?

I disagree with text.

Its good. That's what this forum is for.

Having said that, India as I believe is already a great power. Manpower, economy, defence forces are among the biggest in the world as of this moment. This makes it a great power. However, it is definitely not a super power. There are other countries who are far ahead of us e.g. USA, China, Russia and many others. To close this gap, it is going to take a lot of effort and time.