India at 80: Young, progressive, and forging a special partnership with Israel - opinion

India's journey since gaining independence on August 15, 1947, has been a remarkable testament to nation-building, transforming from a fledgling state grappling with partition, displacement, and widespread poverty into a global economic and technological powerhouse. The initial challenges were immense, including limited industrial capacity and inadequate infrastructure, yet India prioritized establishing robust political institutions.

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Eight decades later, it remains the world’s largest democracy.

Central to this transformation was India's early commitment to democracy. In 1949, the nation adopted a constitution enshrining fundamental rights, federalism, an independent judiciary, and universal adult suffrage. This democratic foundation, established when many newly independent nations struggled with political instability, has endured for eight decades, making India the world's largest democracy.

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Liberalisation, private enterprise and globalisation helped unleash the potential of Indian entrepreneurship and talent.

A pivotal moment for India's economy arrived in 1991 with major economic reforms that integrated the country more deeply into the global economy. Liberalization, private enterprise, and globalization unleashed the nation's entrepreneurial potential. This shift is evident in India's current economic growth, with real GDP projected at 7.7% for FY2025–26, but more importantly, in the tangible improvements across its infrastructure, modern highways, airports, ports, and railways, and its expanding manufacturing sector, including defense and space.

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India’s extraordinary digital transformation is remarkable story-one that deserves to be shared with the world.

India's digital revolution is another extraordinary story. The JAM Trinity (Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar biometric cards, and Mobile) created an unprecedented architecture for financial inclusion and public service delivery. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) exemplifies India's ability to build interoperable and inclusive digital public infrastructure with global adoption potential. Furthermore, India's startup ecosystem, ranked third globally, and the success of privately developed space ventures like Vikram-1, highlight the nation's innovative spirit and the capabilities of its young workforce.

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The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has demonstrated how a country of India’s size can build digital public infrastructure that is interoperable, inclusive and capable of global adoption.