The Future Is Indian
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
From New York Times Opinion, I'm Ross Douthat, and this is Interesting Times.
How does India compare to China in terms of development?
Right now, 21st century geopolitics seems like it's defined by the struggle between America and China. But the major power with the world's fastest growing economy and largest population isn't China, it's India. And right now, India has a unique role in global politics, doing deals with Europe one day and with Donald Trump the next, all while maintaining a strong partnership with Vladimir Putin's Russia. Its large and spreading diaspora gives it a unique cultural influence around the world, one that may only increase as other major powers grow old and people remain India's most important export.
What is referred to as the 'mother of all trade deals'?
My guest today is a prominent international relations scholar who's written about what he calls a multiplex world order, a future where diverse powers compete to shape the world. I wanted to talk to him about India's role in this order and also whether there might be an Indian century waiting to be born. Amitav Acharya, welcome to Interesting Times. Thank you very much. I'm glad to be here. So I want to talk today about two big related subjects, which are India as a great power in its own right, and also the impact of the Indian diaspora of India on the move on the entire world.
What is India's approach to foreign policy in a multipolar world?
But I thought we could start with the story of the last 25 years that I think a lot of Americans who think about the world and great power competition have in their minds, which is a story where both India and China have modernized, have developed, have grown, but China has had the faster path. China has sort of roared to global prominence, and India has taken a slower path. So could you just talk about... India's path to development and power just over the last couple decades and what that looks like.
I think you're absolutely right that India's path toward economic development, even strategic role, is slower to evolve. But let's not forget history.
What is India's grand strategy for global influence?
India was actually a major power, and India actually had a much bigger imprint on, at least on Asian international relations in the 1940s and 50s, where China was just... getting settled into its communist government. But then India and China almost went parallel in terms of development, but then China took off. So there is always this India-China story, narrative, comparing these two. And economically, China has done very well, reduced poverty a lot more than India, but India hasn't done that badly. The last few years, actually, the growth rates are higher than China, but it started on a lower base. And India has maintained its open political system, democracy, despite some hiccups and problems.
How does the Indian diaspora influence global culture?
The main problem with India has been generating employment, and this is a challenge for the current government. But I think if the Indians are taking advantage of the trade agreements, for example, having more access to the European market, which they never had before, and reconciling with the United States and having a fairly good trade deal for India, I think that India can overcome the crisis of the global economy and also in some ways become a little more self-reliant. I think that that would be the best-case scenario.
Talk about demographics, right? This is a frequent obsession on the show. But one of the striking things about the Chinese position right now is that China's birth rate has collapsed. Whereas India, while its birth rate has declined, is entering into what often gets called sort of the demographic dividend sweet spot, which is the period when you have a large young population and you don't have... a large older population to support, which is going to be China's big, big problem. Why does India have a demographic advantage over China right now?
Because China, of course, now is paying the price of a very strict and a one-child policy. India never had the one-child policy. So India has more young populism coming up. But that can be a mixed blessing because you have to find jobs for these people, satisfy these people. India has to improve its educational infrastructure and employment possibility.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–0:25
2
How does India compare to China in terms of development?
0:25–1:08
3
What is referred to as the 'mother of all trade deals'?
1:08–1:50
4
What is India's approach to foreign policy in a multipolar world?
1:50–2:36
5
What is India's grand strategy for global influence?
2:36–3:30
6
How does the Indian diaspora influence global culture?
3:30–5:12
7
What will India look like in 2060?
5:12–5:47
8
What are the implications of India's demographic advantages?
5:47–44:48
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Interesting Times
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