Our Time Has Come

India’s Transformation Picks Up the Pace

Over the past quarter-century, India has undergone a dizzying evolution. In the 1980s, India’s state-controlled, protectionist economy allowed for little trade and few financial ties to the rest of the world. Media and telecommunications were primitive. Before 1991, Indians had access to just one television channel. Indians who wanted a simple landline connection often had to wait for years. Now, Indians can view hundreds of television channels in dozens of languages. More than a billion Indians have mobile phones and Internet access. A subsistence farmer, once disconnected from the world, has instant access to commodity prices, not to mention information on farm subsidies and cricket scores. The explosion of the media industry has corresponded with that of India’s now world-renowned tech sector.  

India’s transformation since the early 1990s is nothing short of remarkable. Its space program has successfully sent probes to the moon and to Mars. Once a recipient of international aid, India is now a significant donor. But the next quarter-century could bring even more dramatic...