Why India's Unstoppable Rise Makes It a Global Punching Bag

• Global views on India are split: a future superpower attracting massive FDI (e.g., Japan's $68 billion) and a dysfunctional state criticized for corruption and poor infrastructure.
• Foreign direct investment is pouring into India, with companies adopting a "China-plus-one" strategy, seeing India as the "future factory for the world" and a hub for innovation.
• Negative views often come from "India-sceptics," including some Indians, who cite HNI flight and civic issues, though HNI departures have significantly decreased.
• India's strategic autonomy and democratic rise unsettle both the US-led West and China, leading to amplified criticism despite its "unstoppable" forward momentum.
• Historically, British colonialism impoverished India; unlike other global powers, India's past is not tainted by dictatorship or genocide, positioning it as a potential geopolitical winner.

Why It Matters: India's economic rise and strategic autonomy make it a global "punching bag," but its momentum is unstoppable.