India’s economic rise, though significant, still lags behind China’s meteoric growth, highlighting differences in leadership continuity, governance culture, policy nationalism, and the impact of internal political fragmentation and foreign-influenced activism.

Contrasting Governance Models- China’s Continuity vs. India’s Volatility

• China’s Centralised Continuity: Operates under an authoritarian hybrid system, blending Communist control with capitalist pragmatism.
  • Only four leaders in 40 years (Deng Xiaoping to Xi Jinping) ensured long-term stability and policy consistency.
• India’s Political Volatility: Saw nine Prime Ministers in four decades, many with short or unstable tenures; frequent leadership changes slowed policy execution and continuity.
• Governance Accountability: China’s model, though opaque, prioritises national interest over individual liberty, while India’s democracy often witnesses political populism and coalition constraints.

Nationalism as a Policy Driver

• China’s Strategic Nationalism: Every policy, domestic or foreign, is anchored in national interest — values like human rights or environmental norms are secondary to state objectives.
• India’s Political Contradictions: National interest often mislabelled as communalism by ideological groups, leading to policy paralysis and ideological divisions.
• Result: China’s nationalism fuels cohesive state action, whereas India’s fragmented discourse slows reform momentum.

Economic Growth Divergence

• GDP Contrast:
  • 1985: India and China’s per capita income ~ $293.
  • 2025: China’s GDP → $19 trillion, India’s → $4.1 trillion.
• Growth Multipliers: China’s economy grew 15-fold (2000–2025) vs India’s 8.5-fold growth.
• Leadership Stability: Long tenures enabled China’s economic reform consistency, compared to India’s frequent resets.

Infrastructure and Project Efficiency

• China’s Execution Model: Completed Three Gorges Dam (22,500 MW) in ~10 years, displacing 1.3 million but delivering massive returns.
• India’s Delay Pattern: Sardar Sarovar Dam (1,450 MW) took 56 years (1961–2017) due to prolonged litigation and activism.
• Activism and Delays: Movements like Narmada Bachao Andolan (1985) and protests against Sterlite (2018) and Koodankulam (2012) show how environmental rhetoric sometimes becomes a developmental barrier.
• Outcome: Judicial delays and external NGO influence hindered infrastructure momentum vital for India’s competitiveness.

External Influence and Internal Obstruction

• Foreign-Funded Activism: Alleged foreign NGOs have funded protests that stalled key energy and industrial projects, weakening India’s self-reliance efforts.
• Case Studies:
  • Sterlite Copper (Thoothukudi) closure turned India from copper exporter to importer.
  • Koodankulam Nuclear Project: Faced protests allegedly linked to foreign funding, acknowledged even by Dr. Manmohan Singh (2012).
• Political Echoes: Even Left leaders like Prakash Karat have warned of foreign funding’s depoliticising role in India’s activism landscape.

Nationalism and Governance Lessons

• China’s Confident Nationalism: Scholars like Edward Friedman and Michel Oksenberg describe China as a “right-populist, authoritarian” state that uses national pride to legitimise power.
• India’s Challenge: To balance democratic diversity with national coherence — developing a confident, reform-driven nationalism without authoritarian excesses.

Reform Imperatives for India

• Economic Reforms: Streamline labour markets and internal trade barriers.
  • Boost manufacturing and agriculture productivity.
• Governance Reforms: Judicial overhaul to reduce pendency.
  • Police and bureaucratic accountability for time-bound service delivery.
• Human Development: Strengthen primary education, water management, and healthcare.
• Institutional Efficiency: Promote a merit-based bureaucracy with faster decision-making.

Conclusion

China’s rise reflects authoritarian efficiency, while India’s slower growth stems from democratic constraints and fragmentation. To realise its 2047 vision, India must fuse national purpose, reform urgency, and strategic discipline.

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