India gained independence on the 15th of August, 1947.
After attaining political freedom, the founders of India had a really difficult
path in front of them. The British colonial rule had left India an illiterate
and poverty-ravaged country. From being one of the richest countries in the
south of Asia to being one of the poorest, the colonial rule had really hurt
the Indian economy. But after gaining independence the founding fathers dreamt
of a self-reliant, booming economy for India and so did the citizens.
75 years have passed and a lot has changed. India as an economy has faced several challenges, many ups and down. The journey to becoming the sixth largest country in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) hasn’t been an easy one. We have faced famines, floods, wars, and near bankruptcy. But all these obstacles have only made India a stronger economy and we have only learned from our mistakes.
Over the years, India has grown in stature and respect. Once known as a third-world country, India is among one of the biggest economies in the world. From having to import food grains to now not only being self-sufficient but also exporting them. India has seen one of the successful green revolutions. India has witnessed tremendous growth in the fields of science and technology, IT, and medicine. IT exports stood at a whopping US $149 billion for the financial year 2021. We are also known as the pharmacy of the world. From a country that was taken lightly and was on the verge of bankruptcy only a few decades ago, we are now one of the biggest powers in the world with a billion-dollar market.
The shift from a socialist economy to a more liberal, capitalist economy has been one of the major reasons for the changes in the Indian economy. Until the economic reforms of 1991, the public sector in India remained dominant. Start-ups, businesses, and entrepreneurship were words unknown to the vast majority of Indian citizens. These were occupations reserved for the rich and the upper middle class. Getting a job in a company was the end goal. Nothing could top a government job. But over the years this attitude has changed, people are more interested in self-employment and opening up their businesses and an exponential increase in the number of start-ups being set up is a testament to that. Currently, we have 75,000 start-ups in our country, 100 of which are start-ups that value over $1 billion US dollars, making them unicorns. India is only after the USA and China when it comes to the number of unicorns in the country. India’s gross domestic product (GDP) was a mere 2.7 lakh crore at the time of Independence, 75 years later, the GDP stands at a staggering $3.17 trillion.
India today is a force to reckon with, we are self-sufficient developing country making progress in all fields with a bright future to look forward to. Economic growth and prosperity not only better the lives of the citizens of a particular country but also earn the country respect in the international community. In these 75 years, the respect for India has only grown. While earlier we were known as a peace-loving nation, today we are known for much more. We are known for our self-reliance, technological advancements, markets, and much more. India commands respect at all international tables today.
Looking back 75 years and we’ve done extremely well
for ourselves. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done but we can
take a pause, breathe a little and be proud of being Indian citizens.
- Yugandhara Barve
Vaadasabha Member
No comments:
Post a Comment