Also, to points raised by some of the other posters, depending on which figure you look at, India's poverty rate is around 20% according to some. Others but it at 30-something. I forgot who said it but India is a rich country inhabited by the poor. Just like China was and still is to an extent today. Lopsided development is a concern, but if you exculude the BIMAROO states( Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajastan, Orissa, and now Chattisgarh and Jharkhand) - there is a mixed - almost decent - economic picture in India. Take the example of Tamil Nadu where close to half the population is urban. South India has become a great place to do business and has been attracting foreign investment and indusrty at a very impressive rate and in the process has seen some of the biggest GSP (gross state product) jumps in the country. Where India does suffer, according to many reports, is in personal productivity. I expect that will change with time and I have already seen it in my own work as Indian employees connect with rest of the world, especially the western world, learn it's ways, and learn the things that they need to do to get more US and European business namely be more productive. In terms of the big picture, I think the key for India is to focus on better human resource development and continue to see grow in all sectors of the economy with tthe focus on that sector where it has the most cometetive advantage against others: low cost services. At least that's where the medium term focus should be. Just my thoughts.