'India will be an economic superpower by 2025'

Hyderabad, Jul 31: India has the potential to emerge as an economic superpower by the year 2025, said Neeraj Patil, Councillor from London's Labour Party Larkhail.

Talking to reporters here, Dr Patil, who was on a visit to his birth city making a SWAT analysis, highlighted the strengths of the country as a growing Information Technology (IT) market, a large work force, largest English speaking population outside USA, well orchastrated publicity abroad by the Indian Government, closer ties with the USA of late and a serious effort to resolve conflict with Pakistan.

The issues India had to grapple with included financial exclusion of large number of people particularly in the rural areas, illiteracy and continuing 'greater role' for the State, he opined, adding that "people's mindset has not kept pace with changes in the economy".

As in the West, political recruitment system had to be put in place to get good quality politicians to frame laws for the country's betterment, Dr Patil felt.

On trade and investment opportunities for UK in India, he said UK was not as engaged with India's markets as it should be.

Despite long history of trade with India, UK companies were overall falling behind their major competitors, as they were considering it simply as a source of lowcost labour, overlooking that it was an emerging market on its own right, he added.

Admitting that non-white people, who constituted 40 per cent of the population in London still faced discrmination, he said he was lobbying from within to set the situation right. Citing an example, he said for a person to get a job in Government hospital, first preference was given to a person from England and then to a person from European Union and then only offered to any non-white candidate. He also said, I have taken up the issue within the Labour Party and will try to get justice for the non-whites.

UNI