Indian Century

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POV = July 2008
original research = July 2008
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The Indian Century is a term used to describe the growing power of India in the 21st century. It has been claimed that various trends will make the 21st century an Asian Century.Fact|date=July 2008

India has been identified as an potential superpower [cite journal| url=http://www.twq.com/04winter/docs/04winter_perkovich.pdf| title=Is India a Major Power?|last=Perkovich|first=George|journal=The Washington Quarterly|issue=27.1 Winter 2003-04|access=2007-12-13] [cite paper| author =Dilip Mohite| title =Swords and Ploughshares- India: The Fourth Great Power?| version =Vol. 7, No. 3| publisher =Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS)| date =Spring 1993| url =http://www.acdis.uiuc.edu/Research/S&Ps/1993-Sp/S&P_VII-3/great_power.html| format =HTML| accessdate = 2007-12-13] . It is also often referred as South Asia's natural hegemon because of its overwhelming dominance of the region in all aspects – political, economic, military, cultural, and demographic. India contributes 77% of South Asia's population, 75% of its GDP, 77 percent of its territory, 80% of its defence budget, and 82% of its armed forces. India is the world's most populous democracy. It has the largest economy in the region, and has impressive GDP growth which sits today at 9.2% [ [http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ayAK98NMbmCA&refer=home India's Economic Growth Unexpectedly Quickens to 9.2%] ] According to political analyst C. Raja Mohan:"India's omnidirectional engagement with the great powers has paid off handsomely. Never before has India had such expansive relations with all the major powers at the same time—a result not only of India's increasing weight in the global economy and its growing power potential, but also of New Delhi's savvy and persistent diplomacy." [ [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/07/india_and_the_balance_of_power.html www.realclearpolitics.com] ]

With the largest defence budget in the region, India possesses nuclear weapons, intermediate-range ballistic missiles, and is the only South Asian country with an aircraft carrier. It has successfully developed a Ballistic Missile Defense system, becoming only the fourth country to do so. In 2007, India became the fourth nation in the world to complete atmospheric reentry for Manned Space Mission, an indication of its recent scientific progress. [ [http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1907193,00040005.htm Hindustan Times] "Giant step in space as capsule returns"]

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