India’s path to global leadership might need more than just economic growth, says Sridhar Vembu.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Zoho founder suggested that India must view itself not just as an economy trying to grow its GDP, but as a civilisation on the verge of revival.
“The real transformation begins when a nation sees itself not as an economy, but as a civilisation ready to rise again,” Vembu wrote, arguing that China never approached its rise as mere economic development. Instead, it was a national project deeply rooted in reviving cultural pride and civilisational legacy.
He compared it to how Japan and South Korea reimagined themselves—not just as fast-growing economies, but as modern expressions of ancient cultures. That’s the kind of shift Vembu believes India needs to internalise.
In the post, Vembu explained that economic discourse often misses the bigger picture. “It is about the culture and the civilisational mindset as much as it is about technology and industry,” he said.
For real, lasting development, Indians must believe they are participating in something greater than quarterly growth charts. “We are not just growing the GDP and meeting quarterly numbers, as important as those may be in the short term,” he wrote.
Touching on India’s long colonial and pre-colonial past, Vembu said that like China’s “100 years of national humiliation,” India too carries psychological scars from centuries of domination and plunder.
But those wounds, he added, should not define the nation’s future. “We must look beyond it, as hard as that is,” he wrote. A renewed civilisational mindset, according to him, is necessary to keep the morale and stamina needed for long-term transformation.
In a rare reference to the darker chapters of China’s journey, Vembu asked Indians to read up on what the Chinese endured on their path to resurgence.
He described the Great Leap Forward (1958–62), when millions died in famine and chaos after Mao encouraged farmers to smelt steel in their backyards. He also mentioned the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), when schools were shut, professionals were persecuted, and ideology trumped reason.
“Please read the history of China, of the last 100 years,” he urged, adding that even reformist leader Deng Xiaoping survived three political purges before steering China toward economic reform.
Despite these catastrophic setbacks, China still managed to rise.
“I am not saying ‘easy’ in absolute terms,” he clarified, “but compared to what the Chinese endured, it was much easier.” And that, he believes, gives India an advantage—if only it can take the long view.
His takeaway is not that India should mimic China’s political model, but that Indians should find inspiration in the scale and seriousness with which China tackled its national revival.
Vembu pointed out how, despite facing state interference, censorship, and even the risk of political crackdown, Chinese entrepreneurs still pushed forward. He implied that India’s challenges—though frustrating—are far more manageable in comparison.
“We will not complain about this shortcoming or that bad tax policy. We will not even complain too much about the corruption of our fallen political system,” he wrote, suggesting that a civilisational perspective can help Indians rise above everyday grumbles.
“Let’s resolve to ourselves that what we are working on is nothing less than the revival of our great civilisation,” Vembu concluded.
