Sunil Khilnani, author of the The Idea of India, argues that India should aim to become a ‘bridging power’, poised between the developing and developed worlds and making imaginative use of its leverage. In the second essay, Parag Khanna of the Brookings Institution highlights how ‘Bollystan’, India’s worldwide diaspora, can contribute to the country’s rise.
Turning to the economy, Prasenjit K. Basu, founding and managing director of Robust Economic Analysis Ltd. (Real), highlights the unprecedented phenomenon of India’s ‘stealth miracle’ and argues that academic and Industrial achievements make it sustainable. Finally, Brahma Chellaney, internationally recognised security specialist at the Centre for Policy Research in Delhi, considers the implications of growing energy demand on foreign and domestic policy.