The New Dark Age

Friday, 3 April 2026 — Radhikka Desai

Geopolitical Economy Hour with Rohit Azad

Radhika Desai

Indian growth under Modi is a lie

Is the Indian economy taking off or tanking? Is India robustly asserting its sovereignty as a full-blooded BRICS country should, or accepting subordination to the US and doing so at a time when, as the whole world can see, the US itself is manifestly in decline, both domestically and in term of the world power?

If much of the commentary on the Indian economy is to be believed, it is the ‘fastest growing major economy in the world’. The Modi government, in office for over a decade now, boasts that India has overtaken the UK as the fifth largest economy in the world. It also claims to have significantly reduced poverty, reformed the Indian economy for faster growth, vastly expanded physical and digital infrastructure investment, initiated a ‘Make in India’ programme to expand Indian manufacturing, launched an entirely novel welfare policy and set the country on the path to become a developed country by the centenary of its independence in 2047.

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While much of the social media regards this as a sign that India is an exemplary BRICs country, little do they know that this discourse is being generated and peddled by Western commentators who wish India to be a counterpoise to China, not only militarily but also economically, and the Indian government who wishes to do exactly that.

In this Geopolitical Economy Hour, Radhika Desai is joined by prominent Indian economist Rohit Azad to discuss the grim realities of the Indian economy and its international alignments.

Watch the conversation here.