India’s roadmap for global leadership; Lessons India can learn from Israel, Japan, USA, and China

 

This year India will celebrate its seventy-fourth Independence Day. India’s story, locally and globally, has had a major skew towards missed opportunities rather than triumphs, which could consolidate her leadership. Permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council — becoming top nation-brand for international tourism and wellness — developing an indigenous program for nuclear energy — building top universities with global standing, etc. to name a few. The economic reforms in the last decade of the twentieth century, rapid digitization of financial services, and India’s global image makeover since 2014 are few measurable triumphs. Even if India is slowly becoming a force to reckon with, none of the triumphs have comprehensively propelled her to the uppermost echelons of global leadership.

 

From the perspective of civilization, perhaps no nation is as resilient as India. Many nations have succumbed to Islamic extremism, British imperialism, and the domino effect of communism. Having been badly bruised by these hardships for generations, India still stands tall while having a deep connection with her civilizational roots. Global leadership, however, demands much more than a civilization underpinning. India must comprehensively master the skills in policy-making, diplomacy, trade deals, economics, humanitarian endeavors, etc., especially for the scale and nature of her population. Besides, a hostile neighborhood and demographical fault-lines pose a humongous challenge for India.

 

 

 

No country has a definitive cookbook for success. Countries learn from each other’s triumphs and failures. The actual question then is two-fold — (1) What lessons can India learn from the leadership traits of other countries? And, (2) Which nations have played to their strengths to show exemplary leadership?

 

India enjoys good diplomatic relations with almost every country on this planet. I believe four countries have clear leadership traits that should be our compass to navigate this hazardous path. They are:

 

• Israel: India’s all-seasons friend who also has her back. India had offered refuge to persecuted Jews when many countries rejected during the second world war.

 

• Japan: India’s true well-wisher having a lengthy history of spiritual connection via Buddhism.

 

• USA: A business-casual acquaintance strictly focused on give and take. India gives intellectual prowess to their multinational technology giants and they take it.

 

• China: A clear and present danger to India who believes in bleeding the enemy with a thousand cuts.

 

Let us inspect the style of leadership of each of these countries to see what India can leverage for its roadmap. In past India has mindlessly imported socialist models of growth, which have ruined the country’s economy. In contrast, this blog suggests learning from other successful leader-states using a measured approach.

 

 

It is a small middle-eastern country in perhaps the most hostile neighborhood. Its leadership strategy is two-fold and as clear as the Umngot River in Meghalaya: (1) Attack to survive, and (2) Innovate to thrive.

 

They make no bones about their capacity to endlessly fight an armed battle with its neighbors. Notwithstanding global pressure, they are ruthless to their enemies, especially Palestine. Besides, they have tremendous advancement in agricultural and consumer technology. Israel also contributes numerous research papers in engineering, especially computer science. India’s key take-away should be two-fold: (1) Ruthlessness with the hostile countries, especially Pakistan, and (2) Speedy adoption of technology in agriculture.

 

 

Back in 1999, I had lived in Japan for 40 days as a cultural exchange student. I had found an average Japanese person to be hardworking, humble, and connected to their traditions. Japan has been excelling in the technological advancement in transportation. Be it there Shinkansen (bullet train) or top car-brands like Toyota, Honda, Subaru, etc. The global success of Toyota cars lies in its production process and system based on traditional Japanese principles of simplicity and hard work. India’s key take-away should be two-fold: (1) Rapid adoption of high-speed public transport, and (2) Utilize indigenous management principles that innately connect with its human-capital.

 

 

I have lived in the US for eleven years. I have observed Americans closely. Their leadership style is three-fold: (1) Rear a strong American Identity, (2) Focus on intellectual property and branding, and outsource labor to low-cost facilities (like China, Bangladesh, etc.), and (3) Be always ready to fight a war in a foreign land under the garb of protecting democracy. In the last three decades, the US has been the top destination for immigration owing to the tremendous research opportunities in their Universities. India’s key take-away should be two-fold: (1) Focus on creating intellectual property, and (2) Build top Universities for the study of integrated medicine, i.e. western medicine, Ayurveda, and Yoga.

 

 

The expansionism of the communist regime of China does not seem to have an end. However, India must also learn from its enemies. Their leadership style is two-fold: (1) Target economically vulnerable countries under the garb of building infrastructure — put them under a huge debt — take over strategic entities in exchange for the defaulted loan, and (2) Arm-twist those countries to toe China’s line in international agencies, like United Nations.

 

China has recently taken over ports in Kenya and Sri Lanka that now employ Chinese labor. Pakistan is a recent victim of this expansionism through the CPEC and OBOR initiatives. The violence in China’s approach is not physical, instead, it seeks to comprehensively destroy the backbone of its “prey” by doling out economic goodies. India’s key take-away should be singular — Help poorer countries that have the potential for tourism, and build the required infrastructure (airports, power generation, water treatment, etc.).

 

India’s ultimate focus must be to get mental wellness retreats built that promote Yoga, meditation, Vipassana, Ayurveda, etc. Also, India must influence the government policy on FDI in those countries for inviting its hospitality businesses to set up shop. Key players like Club Mahindra, ITC Hotels, etc. can benefit from such opportunities. India’s Bollywood industry can be roped in for top-class entertainment.

 

A great economic opportunity presents itself in the post-Corona world. To this end, India should begin consolidating its position as a global leader. India enjoys natural trust with many countries across the globe because of its generational trade and goodwill. Can India use it to her advantage? That depends on the foresight and risk-taking capacity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet.

 

I summarize the roadmap as follows that harnesses India’s civilizational strength with the learnings from Israel, Japan, USA, and China:

• With the goal of practicing Dharma, be ruthless to hostile countries in the matters of national security,

 

• Adopt the use of technology in agriculture and organizing the cattle-resource. Promote MSME ‘Goshala’ startups to manufacture cow-based-chemical-free pesticides and fertilizers.

 

• Built high-speed public transport between tier-1 and tier-2 cities, and smaller urban pockets.

 

• Utilize indigenous management principles for processes and production. For example, lessons from Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Itihaasa, etc.

 

• Focus on creating intellectual property. Government and Armed forces should promote these efforts by buying the IP generated by Universities.

 

• Build Universities in every tier-1 and tier-2 cities for the study of integrated medicine, i.e. western medicine, Ayurveda, and Yoga.

 

• Build infrastructure for wellness-tourism (Yoga, meditation, Vipassana, Ayurveda, etc.) in other countries and push their government for FDI that benefits Indian business.

 

It is India’s responsibility to bring dignity to human life across the globe. Only then the title of ‘Vishwa Guru’ would be befitting.