Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has declared that India has reached its “takeoff point” toward becoming an economic superpower. Speaking at the NXT 2025 Conclave in New Delhi, he projected that by 2050, India would stand among the world’s three leading superpowers, alongside the United States and China.
Reflecting on his six-decade-long association with India, Wickremesinghe emphasized the country’s rapid economic ascent, describing it as the driving force behind South Asia’s future prosperity. “I have been coming to India since 1963. It’s now that you have to see it. India has reached the takeoff point to become an economic superpower,” he stated.
He noted that India’s GDP, currently around $3.5 trillion, is expected to surge to $30 trillion by 2050, transforming the regional economy. This expansion, he said, would create supply chains, manufacturing clusters, and economic corridors benefiting neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
Redefining South Asia’s Identity
Wickremesinghe urged South Asia to rethink its identity by moving away from Western-imposed terminology. “The term ‘South Asia’ was coined by a U.S. Security and Defense subcommittee in 1949. It does not exist in any South Asian or Indian language. Yet, we adopted it,” he remarked.
Comparing regional integration efforts, he noted that while ASEAN has successfully built economic ties and integrated into the Asia-Pacific, South Asia has lagged behind. “Unlike ASEAN, our region has made slow progress. Our heads of government haven’t met since 2014, despite strong commonalities in language, culture, and civilization,” he added.
He proposed an expanded “Greater South Asia” encompassing the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the Indian Peninsula, the Himalayas, Afghanistan, and the Indian Ocean islands. He also stressed the need for stronger economic connections linking the region with Southeast Asia, the Arabian Sea, and the Mediterranean.
India’s Growth and the Future of Regional Trade
Wickremesinghe predicted that by 2050, South India alone would become a $6 trillion economy, naturally forming economic corridors linking Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Southeast Asia into an India-centered supply chain.
He also highlighted shifting trade dynamics, stating that while China’s trade with ASEAN is expected to triple, India’s trade could increase ninefold—potentially bringing ASEAN closer to India than to China in the long run.
However, he cautioned against protectionist economic policies in the region, arguing that remnants of “Nehruvian socialism” still influence South Asia’s trade strategies.
Source: Pratidin Time
