India is on its way to taking its place on the world stage as a developed nation by 2047, the year it will celebrate a century of independence from British rule.
In 1947, India chose to steer the nation on a democratic path and has emerged as the world’s largest democracy, despite the many internal and external complexities it has faced.
Its spurt of economic growth in recent decades and continued commitment to safeguarding democratic values places it in an ideal position to disrupt the world order, opine panelists who participated in a webinar titled ‘India: A Stable Democracy Leading the Global South.’
But that new world order must be ‘more stable and equitable than what it is transitioning from’, cautions Apurv Kumar Mishra, Consultant, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.
Sharing his thoughts as one of the panelists, Mishra explains that large parts of the developing world are now looking to India, which opted to follow democratic principles.
Moderated by Samajwadi Party National Spokesperson, Ghanshayam Tiwari, the webinar held on August 20, 2025, was organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, South Asia.
The webinar included one of India’s former Election Commissioners, Dr S Y Quraishi and Janvi Tripathi, Associate Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, as panelists.
Mishra also downplayed reports of declining human rights and press freedom rankings to point out that a UN report shows India had brought 415 million people out of poverty in 15 years.
India’s economic rise ‘as a non-Western democracy will have global implications,’ and as its economic ambitions grow, the country will be ‘more attentive to internal and external factors that may jeopardise’ that plan Mishra says, adding that despite the challenges, be it dealing ‘with security or trade negotiations, India will prioritise the well-being of its 1.4 billion population.’
A Free Trade Agreement with the EU is expected to be finalised by year’s end, Mishra said. India also enjoys being the only other country which has a Trade and Technology Council with the EU, the USA being the other.
Meanwhile, India’s Semiconductor Mission (ISM) is taking the country towards self-reliance in electronics manufacturing, a move to free India from being a chip consumer.
Democratic principles in India have deepened, Mishra says, pointing to voter increase and more women entering politics, and adding that it has been during the ‘greatest period of economic wellbeing’ that India has seen ‘the highest participation in elections.’
But now the biggest challenge, one he describes as keeping him awake at night, is how Artificial Intelligence could be regulated.
‘India’s identity is democracy,’ claims Dr Quraishi, who states that credible election results, with no margin for error, ensures a smooth transition of power.
He recounts tales of election officials setting up polling booths and waiting all day, even if the area had just one voter.
And, whatever time the voter comes to cast their vote, polling officials are obliged to wait till the end of the polling day to ensure they are not accused of any election irregularities.
While political parties and governments may change, the nation and government as an institution will continue, he points out.
The India International Institute of Democracy and Election has won world recognition and has trained election officials from 143 countries. Modules are customised to meet the needs of the respective country, explains Dr Quraishi.
Viewed as a ‘working and credible democracy,’ India is well poised to play a leadership role, not only within the SAARC region, but also ASEAN Dr Quraishi states.
A robust democratic institution is an enabler in economic growth, explains Janvi Tripathi, adding that there had been a time when government institutions were crushed by a ballooning bureaucracy.
But once bureaucracy in business was reduced, it paved the way for economic growth.
She describes India’s economy as a bit of an experiment; it’s not a pure capitalist, or socialist economy, nor is it a communist or market economy. Yet, ‘It’s an experiment that is working in real time.’
India-Europe relations are not necessarily contingent on what goes on around them, Tripathi explains.
However, the challenge is negotiating deals which meet the diverse requirements of each of the 27 countries that make up the EU, unlike responding to the trade needs of the US.
India’s exports to the US are at 18 per cent, while it is at 17 per cent to the EU.
There are vulnerabilities to be resolved, she explains, stating, however, that in a democracy, leaders listen to the experts who identify gaps that the government could then address.
India is also the second-largest green investment destination and the second-largest consumer of AI.
The latter, she points out, poses ‘wide implications for democratic systems’ which must deal with situations created by misinformation.
Dealing with traditional trade partners is yet another challenge, says Tripathi, describing them as ‘opportunistic partners.’ In such a situation, she advises that the better option is to work with regional trading partners.
Even though some regional competitors have struck better tariff deals (with the US), India still holds the edge, owing to the quality and scale of its products, she points out.
The answer lies in shifting market focus, in being agile in responding to challenges instead of wasting time in understanding intent, so that Indian industries and SMEs are not impacted.
Market diversification is key, and technological advances demand new skills.
Tripathi emphasises that building resilience to India’s own economy is important and that it can be achieved by reskilling its workforce.
Even as India focuses on external trade agreements, unless the young workforce receives skills training, it could easily change the ‘demographic dividend to a demographic burden.’
A trap that India must avoid, she advises, while it journeys ‘towards a developed economy, instead of a developing economy.’
In a video message, Sandra Weeser, a former member of the Bundestag, noted that India is an important trading partner for Germany.
She also added that freedom and democracy cannot be taken for granted but must be fought for, because it could easily move from stability to instability. (Colombo/Aug28/2025)