The Rise of India

from the December 11, 2007 eNews issue

As Bible students, we all are aware of the allusions to the "Kings of the East" in the prophetic scenario:

"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared (Revelation 16:12)."

In response, we all have become aware of the spectacular rise of China on the world scene. Just as Henry Luce dubbed the 20th century as "the American Century," many are recognizing that the 21st century will be "the Asian Century." And China's achievements are spectacular, indeed. In just one generation, they have tripled their per capita income, and lifted over 300 million people out of poverty! And they now have become the major competitor for energy and other commodities.

But with all of the spotlights singling out China, there is another - overlooked - giant rising in the east: India.

Few people realize the remarkable emergence of India in the global technological culture, which is destined to dominate the next few decades. Their research and development centers are sprouting everywhere and are the seedbeds of the most advanced software platforms, multimedia devices, and other next-generation innovations.

Major companies, such as Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, and Cisco Systems, are looking to laboratories in India for their most advanced product developments. Their advanced 3-D computer simulations are tweaking designs for car engines and aircraft wings for clients like General Motors and Boeing. India's Bangalore Research Hub is spawning companies that produce their own chip designs, software, and pharmaceuticals.

Just as China has emerged as a mass manufacturer, India is emerging as a giant in services. Technical and managerial strengths in both China and India are becoming more important than just cheap assembly labor. And, their relative strengths are complementary, not competitive.

For example, China has excelled in mass manufacturing, with multi-billion electronics and heavy industrial plants; India has specialized in software, design, services, and precision industry. Their efficiency in back-office processing alone is legendary and outsourcing such work is expected to quadruple by 2010 to over $56 billion per year!

These two emerging giants will transform the entire global economy. China and India account for one-third of the world’s population. For the past two decades, China has been growing at 9.5% per year, and India at 6% per year. Both are projected to continue at an annual rate of 7-8% for at least the next ten years.

This is, in some ways, analogous to 19th century America, when a young, driven workforce grabbed the lead in agriculture, apparel, and the high-tech innovations of that era: steam engines, the telegraph, and electric lights. Similarly, these two emerging giants are positioning themselves at the vanguard of the critical technologies of the coming decades.

More detailed information on this topic can be found in our briefing package titled The Rise of the Kings of the East.