Indian-American Entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan says he’s been “shocked” by India’s remarkable economic progress, predicting it will soon become a significant global force.
In a recent podcast, Srinivasan, who admits to having not been particularly focused on his Indian heritage for the majority of his life, said it’s been impossible not to notice enormous changes within the country.
“For the first 30 years of my life, being of Indian ancestry wasn’t something I paid a lot of attention to,” he said.
“But over the last 10 years, and especially the last five, I was shocked by how well India has executed.
“It’s improved so much … that something really good is happening.”
Drawing a comparison to the deterioration of some American cities, like San Francisco, he pointed out that India has been on an opposite trajectory of improvement.
He highlights how India’s new parliament building, constructed in just two and a half years at a cost of $125 million, stands as a testament to the nation’s newfound efficiency.
Srinivasan compares this to the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, which he says cost billions, or the U.S. embassy in Hanoi that cost 10 times as much as India’s new parliamentary edifice.
Srinivasan concluded with historical context, noting that when Christopher Columbus set sail in 1492 with the intent to reach India.
He says after a period of being relatively low-key on the global stage, it appears that the country is returning to form as a formidable player in world civilization.
These observations add to a growing consensus that India is indeed experiencing a renaissance, both in its domestic affairs and its standing on the global stage.
A report by Morgan Stanley in late 2022 stated that India was on track to become the world’s third largest economy by 2027, surpassing Japan and Germany.