77^th Independence Day, 15^th August

Be the Change You Want, Bharat Cannot Wait to Prosper

- By Rahul Nandan & Seethalakshmi S

Bharat is celebrating 77th Independence Day this year. A look back on how this nation has overcome a series of great challenges in the past seven decades to be where it is today rekindles the faith of its 140 million people in its promising future.

When we say Bharat, we have to say here that this is 77th year of independence from British rule as this ancient nation (or parts of it) has been under continuous foreign invasion and rule since the 8th century when the Arabs conquered Sindh. Since then, several foreigners have landed on this soil including many Muslim invaders, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes, the French and the British. But, let us not look at all these at this moment and talk about the seven decades of this country’s journey since the moment it became independent from British colonial rule on August 15, 1947.

We have had an extremely eventful 70 years as a young independent nation, which saw many challenges and many milestones. Let us sift through some key indicators then and now. From a terrible economy with a GDP of a mere Rs 2.7 lakh crore (3% of the world’s GDP), abysmal literacy rate of 18%, lack of infrastructure (civic or otherwise), life expectancy of just 32 years and poverty rate of 80% to becoming the world’s fifth largest economy with a GDP of Rs 273 lakh crore ($3.30 trillion), 75% literacy, a robust growing infrastructure, life expectancy of 70 years and poverty at 15%, Bharat has come a long way. Of course, it still has a long journey ahead but certainly that time is not far when it will arrive with a bang, and it is moving ahead at a rapid pace.

This is a moment to take pride at some milestones that Bharat has already crossed on its way to become a global superpower:

• World’s 5th largest economy now and racing to be 3rd largest by 2027
• World’s largest provider of generic drugs
• 3rd biggest auto market in world
• World’s largest & leading offshore IT-BPO destination for several years
• Indian Railways is the largest rail network in Asia and 2nd largest in the world (under one management)
• World’s top rice exporter and 2nd biggest wheat and sugar exporter
• World’s 2nd largest road network at 63,72,613 km after the US
• World’s 3rd largest military spender after the US and China
• Indian CEOs lead the world’s largest corporations (58 top global CEOs are of Indian origin)
• No. 1 in global digital payments with 89.5 mn transactions in 2022, which is 46% of the world’s real-time payments
• 4th largest retail market ($810 bn) in the world & 3rd largest online shopper base
• World’s largest diaspora with 32 million Indians in different nations, of which 18.68 mn are PIO

These are no mean accomplishments in 70 years, with a host of unique challenges that this country continues to face. Now, let us look at all that Bharat must focus and work on in the coming decades to be where it deserves to be:

• Equitable access to education and healthcare
• From Make in India to Create in India by investing heavily on indigenous research & development
• Create rural job opportunities
• Population control (We are 7th largest nation by land area but the world’s most populous)
• Empower its 1.4 bn youth with knowledge and skill
• Keep heavily invested in cutting edge technologies like AI, IoT, Data Science, Life Sciences, New Energy Resources
• Reduce defence imports with homegrown R&D
• Safeguard environment and natural resources to tackle water scarcity and soaring temperatures

We have achieved several milestones and we can certainly work together to overcome all these challenges in the coming years. It is important that each one of us live a purposeful and responsible life, each of us has a vision to make this great nation prosperous and work towards it passionately. It is not fair to sit and wait for the government to bring the change you want, you must drive the change. We must work together by breaking the shackles of caste, creed, religion, and socio-economic status that have long held this country in poverty and despair.

On this 77th Independence Day, let us pause to remember the sacrifices of those millions of Indians and their dreams of a free and flourishing Bharat. Let us all (we are 1.4 billion) take a pledge to fulfil their vision and join hands to return this nation to its ancient glory.

Wish you all a very happy Independence Day.

Jai Hind & keep reading!

Rahul Nandan & Seethalakshmi S

Co-founders, Antardhwani