If China Can Rise, Why Can't India?

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The biggest example is China. Deng Xiaoping asked the unthinkable – Is this version of communism truly serving our people? Then, instead of abandoning communism, he reimagined it – blending it with market reforms and global ambition.

The result? The rise of a capitalist-communist state unlike anything the world had seen. The key was not ideology. It was introspection.

Revolution to renaissance: Deng's dream of a nation of capable men

Before Deng's era, China was a rigid, feudal society dominated by a few elites and strict ideology. The Cultural Revolution under Mao deepened the crisis, causing widespread persecution and chaos.

In the late 1970s, China faced a choice: stick to traditional Marxist doctrine or reinvent its society and economy. Deng Xiaoping took two bold steps – first through a social revolution that dismantled feudal structures, then through pragmatic economic modernization.

He began by rehabilitating millions persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, restoring their dignity and fostering national reconciliation. In 1978, Deng Xiaoping launched the“Open Door Policy,” inviting foreign investment and integrating China into the global economy. This, along with his broader reforms, fueled rapid growth-China's GDP grew by 9.5% annually from 1978 to 2013, lifting 800 million out of poverty in four decades.

Through the“Four Modernizations ,” Deng prioritized education, technology, national defense and agriculture, building a skilled workforce that powered China's rise to become the world's second-largest economy.

China's focus on innovation and talent over ideology drove rapid progress. Literacy rose from 20% (1949) to 97 % (2020). It now produces 1.4 million engineers a year, leads in STEM PhDs and has more than 100 million small and medium enterprises generating 60% of GDP and 80% of the employment.

China's rise is rooted in long-term investment in human capital, making it a global leader in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and space tech. Deng's focus on practical solutions over ideology drove China's rise from poverty to prosperity.

By breaking feudal structures and embracing market reforms, China rebuilt its economy and fostered a nation of competent, forward-thinking citizens who empower the nation.

Caste census: addressing India's Achilles heel

India today stands at a crossroads, much like China in the 1970s. A land of vast potential, India is held back not by talent or vision but by its reluctance to question deep-rooted beliefs about caste.

The caste system has long perpetuated inequality and limited opportunity. It's India's Achilles heel.