Ambrose Evans-Pritchard — Modi's Thatcherite talk cannot restore India's flagging fortunes

Voters have turned to Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist and celibate “monk” from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh movement who rose from tea boy to run the state of Gujarat as a relative haven of free enterprise. Billed as India’s Margaret Thatcher, or its Shinzo Abe, some wonder whether he is not really a Hindu Putin, a strongman who plays with ethnic fire sitting on top of a fraying economy.

Almost all the success stories of the post-War era – beginning with Japan – saw a surge in manufacturing and productivity after the working age cohort rose above 60pc of the total population. This is typically a window of 10 to 15 years. India has already used it up, yet has been left behind as Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico and others corner the mid-ranking industries. Mr Baweja blames the country’s fossilised labour laws.

Not enough expropriaton privatiziation and exploitation deregulation and wage flexibility.

The Telegraph (UK)
Modi's Thatcherite talk cannot restore India's flagging fortunes
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard