When Narendra Modi was elected Prime Minister of India in 2014, he promised to push through key reforms and bring about the massive economic development needed for the “world’s largest democracy” to win its place among global superpowers. With over 1.3 billion citizens, India is soon to become the world’s most populous country, and more than one quarter of the people joining global workforce during the next decade will be Indian. The poorest of the world’s 20 largest economies, India’s potential for catch-up growth is enormous. And so are the limits and contradictions India must overcome for Modi’s vision to gain momentum.
What has his government achieved so far? How likely is Modi’s “Minimum government, maximum governance” strategy to deliver? Is the “reluctant superpower” now closer to becoming a regional leader? In a crucial year for local elections, and with the Prime Minister ready to run for a second term in 2019, this volume investigates the economic and political trajectories of Modi’s India in its quest for a global role.

Table of Contents

Introduction - Paolo Magri

1. Economic Reforms and Double-Digit Growth - Bidisha Ganguly

2. Delhi vs States. Balancing and Speeding Decision-Making in India - Gautam Chikermane

3. “Unity in Diversity” or a Hindutva India? - Nicola Missaglia

4. Confronting BRICS: The Indian Dilemma - Geethanjali Nataraj, Garima Sahdev

5. Modi’s World. Vision of a “Potential Superpower” - Ugo Tramballi

Policy Recommendations for the EU