In recent years, India has witnessed an unprecedented wave of optimism about its economic future. The vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, projections that India could become the world's third-largest economy, advances in semiconductors, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and startups—all these have generated tremendous hope about the nation's future.
Yet, amidst this excitement, a fundamental question is
rarely asked. What is the true foundation of a nation's long-term prosperity?
Is it investment? Technology? Government policy? Or is there something deeper?
Reflecting on this question, one notices two distinct
schools of thought in contemporary India.
One school argues that we should follow the path taken by
the West. Better infrastructure, industrialization, foreign investment,
world-class universities, cutting-edge research, advanced technology, and Nobel
Prizes—these, they believe, are the keys to development. In short, their
aspiration is to make India "another America."
The other school emphasizes rediscovering India's ancient
civilizational heritage—its culture, languages, philosophy, and traditional
knowledge. They argue that development remains incomplete if a nation loses
touch with its roots.
These two viewpoints are often seen as being in conflict.
Each tends to view the other with suspicion. To the first group, the second
appears trapped in the past. To the second, the first seems captivated by a
rootless modernity.
But this conflict is largely an illusion.
Economic development and civilization are not opposing
forces. They represent two different levels of the same evolutionary process.
Economics tells us how wealth is created.
Civilization builds the psychological and social foundations
that enable a society to create wealth generation after generation.
In a recent interview, the Indian economist Sanjeev Sanyal
made an important observation. Societies that have preserved a deep sense of
civilizational confidence over centuries are also better equipped to sustain
long-term economic growth. Respect for history, trust in institutions, and the
willingness to invest for the future are all qualities that grow within a
culture.
Interestingly, the Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis, despite
coming from a very different political tradition, arrives at a similar
conclusion. He argues that economies cannot be understood merely in terms of
markets, interest rates, or monetary policy. History, social institutions, the
stories people tell themselves, and their shared beliefs are integral to the
functioning of an economy.
The two economists may differ in their political outlooks,
but they converge on one important point: an economy does not function in a
vacuum. It is deeply rooted in a culture, a civilization, and a shared social
consciousness.
This brings us to an important distinction.
Cultural pride does not mean empty slogans. It does not mean
romanticizing the past or looking down upon others.
Authentic cultural renewal means providing higher education
in our own languages, studying our classical texts, making modern scientific
knowledge available in Indian languages, reinterpreting our arts, literature,
and intellectual traditions for contemporary times, and maintaining a living
connection with our civilizational heritage even as we pursue world-class
scientific and technological research.
Such cultural confidence nurtures self-respect. Self-respect
fosters creativity. Creativity builds institutions. Institutions generate
wealth. Economic growth then ceases to be a temporary miracle and becomes a
living stream of prosperity flowing across generations.
A tree does not stand because of its branches. It stands
because of its unseen roots.
Likewise, the strength of a nation's economy does not rest
merely on its industries, highways, and factories. The invisible roots that
nourish them—history, culture, language, education, and civilizational
self-confidence—are the true foundation.
If India is to become a developed nation by 2047, it will
need not only stronger branches, but even stronger roots.
(English translation of my article in Eenadu published today)
