“Info tech can't drive economic growth yet, and its education system faces great difficulties, but India is closer to catching China than many believe” As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, there is general agreement, that the two Asian giants, China and India, are poised by their sheer size and business clout, to dominate global markets in the coming years. We thought a hard nosed look at some of the myths about India vis a vis China, could do with some debunking – which is why we are thrilled to share with you an item from BusinessWeek, by two seasoned Chindia watchers.
Anil K. Gupta is the Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Strategy and Organization at the Smith School of Business, The University of Maryland  at College Park (US). A world-renowned scholar on global strategy, he is a regular speaker at major conferences and serves as an adviser and director for corporations in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Haiyan Wang is managing partner of China India Institute, a research and consulting organization. Drawing on her experience in China, Singapore, Europe, and the United States, she consults with companies and speaks at conferences on smart globalization in the age of China and India.
They are the coauthors of Getting China and India Right (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2009) and The Quest for Global Dominance (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2008).

Anil’s public lecture in October 2009 at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore: “Getting China & India Right : Strategies for Leveraging the World’s Fastest Growing Economies for Global Advantage” is summarised in this PDF document: http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/docs/events/2009/20091029_Anil_Gupta_PPT.pdf  

The BusinessWeek article says: India's 7.9% economic growth in the third quarter of 2009 vividly illustrates a dramatic transformation in the country's image, from a land of elephants and snake charmers to that of an IT powerhouse and an emerging economic giant. While both sets of perceptions are valid, they hide far more than they reveal. Indeed, when it comes to the Indian economy, what most people believe to be true contains more fiction than fact. We highlight below five common myths about India and discuss why the reality on the ground is quite different. The Five Myths About India that the authors list are: Myth No.1: The information technology sector has been the primary driver of India's economic growth.
Myth No.2: India is decades behind China.
Myth No.3: India's democratic politics will prevent a rapid build-up of the country's infrastructure.
Myth No.4: Uncontrolled population growth is a major burden for India.
Myth No.5: India's education system is world class.

Read the full article here
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2009/gb20091224_238332.htm 

Dec 25 2009