India grows faster than many countries, but often finds itself in the shadow of China’s even greater heft. Look under the hood, however, and India’s growth machine sports some features China could use. Its 8.8 per cent growth year-on-year in the second quarter came even as foreign direct investment fell and the current account deficit widened. Indians seem altogether more self-sufficient than the Chinese in fuelling their expansion.
Admittedly a cloud of uncertainty hangs over the growth figure: the expenditure measure of gross domestic output grew much less than the supply-side measure. But few think India’s economy is screeching to a halt, so the strong rise in output indicated by the supply side – the biggest gains were seen in transport and communication and in manufacturing – must be meeting domestic demand that is growing equally fast, given the economy’s external position.
For all their similarities, emerging countries are not a homogenous species. India is too often lumped in with other burgeoning economies. The comparison with China is especially tempting, given India’s sizeable population, recent liberalisation and largely agrarian economy. The politician Jairam Ramesh coined the word “Chindia” to capture the intertwined destinies of the two countries.