A GDP per capita lower than even Bangladesh, which gained independence in 1971, and intellectual output lower than Turkey, South Korea, Malaysia and other small countries in Asia says otherwise. As I said, Pakistan’s corrupt & moronic governance culture hides India’s utterly underwhelming performance.
In fact, India has cleverly chosen to compete against serial underachiever like Pakistan, rather than its geographic & demographic peer China, to hide its pathetic condition.
The nearly 5 decade development of the LCA Tejas is a perfect illustration of this.
You’re in no position to be talking about GDP per capita when Pakistan can barely keep the lights on without begging the IMF for a bailout every other year.
Comparing India to Bangladesh? Seriously? Bangladesh’s economy might have shown some temporary uptick in GDP per capita during COVID, but that’s where the story ends. It’s a textile-dependent economy, and you know what that means—low-wage labor. Bangladesh churns out cheap chaddis, while India builds satellites, pharmaceuticals, and IT systems that power Fortune 500 companies worldwide. India's GDP is nearly 10 times that of Bangladesh. We’ve got ISRO launching interplanetary missions while Bangladesh is still figuring out how to handle basic infrastructure and flooding.
India’s intellectual output is massive. It produces the second-largest number of STEM graduates in the world, and its IT services industry is a global leader, valued at over $245 billion. India also boasts one of the world’s fastest-growing startup ecosystems, with over 100 unicorns (startups valued at over $1 billion). These companies are leaders in fields like AI, biotech, and e-commerce. India’s digital revolution is another point to note. India has implemented Aadhaar, the largest biometric ID system in the world, which supports a vast array of digital services. The Unified Payments Interface, another Indian innovation, processes over 8 billion transactions per month, transforming the way digital payments are handled globally. You want to talk about intellectual output? Where’s Pakistan on that map? India’s IITs, ISRO, and tech industry are recognized worldwide. Pakistan, on the other hand, is known for exporting terrorism, not innovation.
Turkey? Don’t even get me started. With an unstable currency and a politically fragile situation, Turkey’s nowhere close to matching India’s economic strength or stability. Its heavy reliance on construction and tourism makes it unstable—India's economy, on the other hand, has a broad industrial base and world-class services sector.
South Korea might make fancy gadgets with the help of US and Russia, but India has developed Uttam AESA radar, which is indigenous, built entirely by India’s own engineers, not some foreign import. We’ve built our own quadruplex fly-by-wire system for the LCA Tejas, Astra BVRAAM, and advanced avionics that Pakistan can only dream of. What’s Pakistan flying? Some second-hand F-16s and JF-17s, built with help from China and still behind the curve.