Below is a comment by the famous investor Jim Rogers on India. I think it applies to specially Nepal as Nepal has been more mismanaged than India.
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In 1947, India was one of the most successful countries in the world relative to others. India was more successful than China, more successful than South Korea, more successful than most places in Asia—but, for me, it is unfortunate that you have failed to take advantage of some of your most valuable assets. 

India has some of the smartest people in the world, but it does not have an education system to support it. Infrastructure is equally poor. So, I don’t know if India would have been better without a democracy, and some of the greatest periods in history have been without democracy. But these are just my observations, and it is the Indians who must decide what they want.

via Jim Rogers blog
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