If India is to be strictly judged by economic indicators, it has done remarkably well. But what, one may ask, are the factors that contribute towards the acquisition of power status in today’s world? One may name several factors:

* Internal unity, for instance. No matter how hard India’s enemies — notably Pakistan — have tried to foster dissension and rebellion in the country, India has emerged stronger than ever. On this count India has nothing to fear.

* Economic strength: Even conceding that some 30 per cent of the people are below the poverty line, the fact is that the economy is moving from strength to strength. And who says that? According to the UK Secretary of State for trade and industry, Patricia Hewitt, India will soon become the fourth largest economy in the world, overtaking even the UK. Addressing the plenary session of the CII partnership summit in Hyderabad on January 6, Hewitt said that India is the fifth largest growing economy in the world and is fast moving up the ladder. Addressing the same meeting, Credit Suisse’s First Boston Director and Chief Economist for South-Asia, P.K. Basu said that India is likely to emerge as a net creditor in another 15 months. He said: "I call India a stealth miracle. It is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world."

"Over the last one year, India has acquired some current account surplus and the country is likely to emerge as a net creditor in another 15 months". The point to note is that a debtor country can hardly aspire to be a great power, let alone a superpower. India is fast moving towards being a creditor nation which can see the world in its eye.

Military power, of course, is a necessary concomitant to aspire to be a great power. It is well-known that India has the third largest armed force in the world with a totally non-political and disciplined leadership — the envy of many countries. While it is true that at present it has to buy a substantial portion of its weaponry — from ships, tanks, destroyers to fighter planes — from abroad it has the capabilities to manufacture them on its own and can be fully self-sufficient in the next quarter century. It has already perfected missiles and has a modest accumulation of nuclear weapons.

If, then, all the indicators show that India has the capabilities to be a great power, what are the factors that act as a check to India’s forward movement? Given that India sees itself as a civilisationally blessed, responsible and peaceful state — yet another perquisite to aspire for a great power status — what should India do? To start with, it has to undertake a massive effort to spread primary education among the masses. No great power can afford to have even a 5 per cent population of illiterates. Next, it has to create substantial opportunities of employment for an ever-expanding army of educated people. This means opening its doors to foreign investment. Most importantly, it must grow in self-confidence, whether in tackling its bothersome neighbour in the West or in negotiating with the only superpower, the USA, with which it has on again-off again relationship.

Writes Stephen Cohen: "Strategically, the USA should regard India not as another Asian state comparable to Pakistan or Indonesia, but as a player in the larger Asian sphere, one of the five most important states in the world, whether from a strategic, political or ideological perspective... India should be acknowledged as South-Asia’s regional dominant power and as a major Asian power....If Indian diplomacy of the past five years is any indication, the gap between Indian ambitions and capabilities and between India rhetoric and Indian intentions are slowly closing". That said, all is said.

The writer is a well-known columnist and Chairman of Prasar Bharati