Where does India Stand Amongst the Worlds Most Powerful?

            Realist John Mearsheimer argues that the two defining characteristics of a countries power are its military power and latent power. This realist framework contends that military power is paramount, and that latent power, a “state’s ability to translate assets of population and wealth into military power”, is as important (Mearsheimer). Under this realist argument, India is not currently equipped to become a world super power. Their military severely suffers from a lack of modernization, corporate and government debt are very high, there is double-digit inflation, and poverty still runs rampant throughout the country. However, I do believe that India will eventually pass China on the list of world super powers. They will find an efficient way to harness their soon-to-be largest population in a working machine that will thrive both militarily and economically.

Today, India is one of the largest importers of military equipment in the world, due to the absence of a strong weapons manufacturing industry. Without this industry, India cannot equip its military with technologically modernized weapons itself. Inefficiency is another large issue. The majority of India’s military resources and manpower are stationed on crucial border points with China and Pakistan. Though understandable, this military strategy has “limited India’s power projection beyond its borders”(Mearsheimer). India is capable of having a strong and powerful military program if it can re-design its military strategy and create a more self-sustaining modernized weapons program.

            Another major factor holding India back is its lack of latent power. Today, India holds the second largest population in the world, but as of 2010, almost 25% of the Indian population was under the international poverty line of $1.25 per day. The country is also dealing with a huge budget deficit and an inflation rate of 6.46%. Right now, India’s economy cannot support or utilize such a large population. As of 2013, 65 million Indians lived in slums, which are characterized as “dwellings unfit for human habitation”. At this time, India does not have the means to translate its wealth (total GDP) and size (population) into military power. While they hold a competent, young population, the country’s infrastructure is not built to sustain such a large, growing population.

            In the future, I predict that India will overtake China as the world’s second largest power. India has the tools to more than enable itself to become a dominant world power. Unlike China, which will soon begin suffering from an aging population, India will thrive from the large growth in their labor force. With a solid democratic structure, too, I believe they can utilize their growing workforce and transform into an economic and military super power. In thirty years time I believe we could potentially be looking at India as a rival to the United States, because they possess the ingredients to becoming a world super power. 

Sources:

http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~plam/irnotes07/Mearsheimer2001.pdf

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesgruber/2014/05/04/india-will-soon-outpace-china/

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/65-million-people-live-in-slums-in-india-says-census-data/article5188234.ece