Modi's 100 Smart Cities And Superpowerdom

English: Map of the British Indian Empire from Imperial Gazetteer of India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Narendra Modi talked relentlessly of building 100 smart cities across India as he crisscrossed the country on the campaign trail. That is a great concept, and might be India's ticket to going back to being the leading country on the planet, like it once was. For most of human history India and China have been the two richest countries on earth.

India is not going anywhere unless it can grow up double digit rates for the next 30-40 years. That is the key thing. But economic growth is not enough. India's vast energy needs have to be met through innovations in clean energy. If you can't see the sky, does not matter that you have a lot of money in the bank.

But the only way India can become the leading country is if it takes its democracy to a whole new level. India has to celebrate diversity better than any other country. India has to celebrate free speech better than any other country. That is a precondition to India creating the trillion dollar industries of tomorrow.

Those 100 smart cities have to think along the lines of clean energy, organic farming, diversity and free speech. Those 100 smart cities have to become microcosms of the India of tomorrow.

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The Democratic Party Died For Me In 2008

Khmer Anti-Poverty Party (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have been an Independent since. Not much of that either. Political volunteering is past tense.

I don't see me ever running for public office, ever! The issues that really get me - like global poverty - are global. And some of the best ways I could make an impact might be all digital.

I am a tech entrepreneur who would like to do good. I am a global citizen, a proud Indian.

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Nitish Has Been The Top Performing Indian Politician

And that is why he is the best candidate for Prime Minister.

Modinomics: do Narendra Modi's economic claims add up?

Gujarat's growth rate in the 1990s was 4.8%, compared to the national average of 3.7%; in the 2000s it was 6.9% compared to the national average of 5.6%. The difference between Gujarat's growth rate and the national average increased marginally, from 1.1 percentage points to 1.3 percentage points. A good performance? Yes. Justifying the hype? No. Maharashtra, the top-ranked state in terms of per capita income in the 2000s, improved its growth rate from 4.5% in the 1990s to 6.7% in the 2000s. The difference between Maharashtra's growth rate and the national average grew from 0.8 percentage points to 1.1 percentage points. Contrast this with the performance of Bihar, the state that has been in the bottom of the rankings in terms of per capita income throughout: its growth rate was 2.7 percentage points below the national average in the 1990s, but 1.3 percentage points higher in the 2000s. So the prize for the most dramatic turnaround in the 2000s would go to Bihar.

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