THE NEXT LEAP

India's rise as the world's fourth-largest economy is more than an economic headline; it is a historic milestone layered with memory, struggle, and transformation.

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This is the story of a country that moved from shortages to surpluses, from hesitant reforms to structural shifts, and from dependency to confidence. To surpass Japan in nominal GDP and stand behind only the United States, China, and Germany is not a statistical accident. It reflects cumulative work-liberalisation in the 1990s, strengthening of institutions, expansion of domestic consumption, the digital revolution, financial inclusion through JAM trinity, infrastructure expansion, manufacturing ambition, and an increasingly assertive economic diplomacy. Growth projected between 6 and 7 per cent in the coming years is not being built on borrowed adrenaline; it is being powered by domestic demand, services resilience, rising manufacturing capability, and a demographic base the world envies. India has climbed while the global economy has often stumbled amid wars, supply chain crises, inflation, oil uncertainty, and geopolitical realignment. That resilience deserves recognition because, for decades, India's global identity oscillated between "emerging" and "lagging." Today, it stands as both relevant and consequential, shaping conversations on technology, clean energy, supply chains, security architecture, and global governance.