India industrial growth is entering a defining phase as manufacturing, infrastructure, technology and demographic advantages converge to reposition the country at the centre of global economic expansion.

From late industrialisation to emerging global leadership, India’s growth story is increasingly shaped by its ability to integrate capital, technology, and youthful ambition with a long-term national vision, says management education expert Bharat Nadkarni in a conversation with Education Publica magazine.

A Mumbai-based expert with decades of experience across multinational corporations, including the Tata Group, Nadkarni has worked extensively in leadership development, corporate strategy, and global business transformation. He continues to engage with industry and academia on India’s evolving role in the global economy, as well as emerging trends in management education.

Why India Industrial Growth Matters Now

Industrialisation began in developed countries nearly 200 years ago. India, by comparison, is a late entrant. Our industrial journey only truly gathered momentum in the last 25 to 40 years, with a more decisive acceleration in the 21st century. Today, however, India is not just catching up—it is beginning to move faster.

This late start has shaped our needs. To grow, India requires capital, advanced skills, and cutting-edge technology—resources that largely reside in developed economies. At the same time, India offers what many of these countries increasingly lack: land, labour, raw materials, and a vast untapped market.

This complementary equation presents a powerful opportunity.

How India Industrial Growth Is Reshaping Manufacturing

India’s proposition to the world is simple yet compelling. Global organisations with access to capital, technology, and expertise should bring these into India through foreign direct investment. In return, India provides the scale, workforce, and market access necessary for growth.

Consider the example of Germany. It may not have the land, labour, or raw material resources at scale, but it possesses strong technological capabilities and capital strength. India, on the other hand, offers the physical and demographic advantages. Together, this creates a natural partnership model—one that can drive mutual growth.

This is precisely why global corporations increasingly view India not only as a major market but also as a manufacturing hub.

From China to India: A Shift in Focus

In the 1990s and early 2000s, global attention was firmly on China. However, China’s economic model, shaped by its political system, has certain limitations in terms of openness and flexibility.

India, as a vibrant and evolving democracy, offers a different value proposition. It is open, dynamic, and increasingly business-friendly. There is a growing belief that India can contribute more to the global economy in the coming decades than China, provided it addresses its internal challenges.

The potential is undeniable. What is needed is greater discipline and execution.

The Power of India’s Youth

One of India’s greatest strengths lies in its young population. Today’s Indian youth are talented, ambitious, and globally aware. They aspire to build meaningful careers and compete on the world stage.

This demographic advantage positions India uniquely. While many Western nations face ageing populations, India is becoming a young, energetic economy ready to take on the future.

The Missing Link: Political Maturity

While corporate India has demonstrated remarkable progress, political maturity remains a critical factor in determining the pace of national development.

India needs leadership that is not just focused on the present, but deeply invested in the future. Visionary politics—driven by long-term thinking and strategic clarity—can significantly accelerate economic growth.

Encouragingly, there are emerging leaders who embody this vision. If nurtured, they can help bridge the gap between political intent and economic execution.

Corporate India Goes Global

Indian companies are no longer confined to domestic markets. There is a clear shift towards global ambition.

The Tata Group offers a compelling example. Tata Steel’s acquisition of Corus positioned it among the world’s leading steel producers. Tata Motors’ acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover demonstrated India’s ability to own and grow global brands. Tata Consultancy Services operates across continents, reinforcing India’s strength in IT services.

This trend extends beyond one group. Larsen & Toubro, Gammon India, and several others are expanding internationally. In the FMCG sector, companies like Hindustan Unilever, Godrej, Marico, ITC, and Dabur are strengthening their presence, while global players such as Nestlé and Procter & Gamble continue to invest in India.

Indian enterprise is no longer inward-looking—it is global in aspiration and execution.

The Global Fulcrum is Shifting

Over the next 50 years, the balance of economic power is likely to shift from the West to Asia.

There was a time when global conversations revolved around cities like New York, London, and Paris. Today, the narrative is changing. Cities like Singapore, Dubai, and Mumbai are becoming central to global business and economic activity.

The energy, the momentum, and the opportunity are increasingly concentrated here.

A Young Nation Ready to Lead

Much of the Western world is transitioning into an ageing phase, while India is entering its prime. It is a young country, full of possibility, ready to move forward.

The real action is no longer confined to traditional power centres. It is unfolding in emerging economies, and India is at the heart of this transformation.

The path ahead is clear. With the right mix of global collaboration, internal discipline, and visionary leadership, India has the potential not just to participate in the global economy—but to lead it.

Drone technology in agriculture is rapidly changing how farmers monitor crops, manage resources and improve productivity. A South Indian startup is now using aerial innovation and precision farming tools to reshape agriculture from the sky

In 2018, catastrophic floods swept across South Indian state of Kerala, submerging farmland and leaving behind more than visible damage. When the waters receded, they revealed a deeper crisis—soil chemistry had changed, salinity had increased, and farming systems that had sustained communities for generations no longer behaved the same way.

For many farmers, the land had become unfamiliar.

For Devan Chandrasekharan, an aeronautical engineer with roots in farming, this moment marked a turning point.

“That moment made it clear that agriculture needed more than incremental change,” he says. “It needed a different way of understanding what’s happening in the field.”

Today, as co-founder of Fuselage Innovations, a Kerala-headquartered agritech company with operations expanding across southern India and early international pilots, Devan is part of a new wave of innovators rethinking agriculture through technology.

Drone Technology in Agriculture: From Fields to Flight Paths

Modern agriculture is increasingly shaped by data. But while satellite systems offer scale, they often lack immediacy. Cloud cover, delays, and low resolution limit their usefulness in time-sensitive decisions.

“In farming, timing is everything,” Devan notes. “If you cannot act at the right moment, even the best data loses its value.”

Fuselage Innovations addresses this gap using drones equipped with multispectral sensors, capable of capturing real-time, high-resolution data directly from the field. These systems detect early signs of stress—nutrient deficiencies, pest risks, or water imbalances—long before they become visible.

Farming as a Predictive System

The company’s approach goes beyond aerial imaging. It is built around a stage-wise model that tracks crop growth from early development to harvest, linking each phase to targeted interventions.

This transforms farming from a reactive process into a predictive one.

“Instead of responding to visible damage, we can identify stress signals early and intervene precisely,” Devan says. “That changes the entire economics of farming.”

The results are significant. Field applications have shown yield increases of up to 35 percent, alongside a reduction of nearly 50 percent in pesticide and fertiliser use. Precision spraying has also cut input volumes dramatically—from 150–200 litres per acre to just 10–15 litres—reducing both costs and environmental impact.

Scaling Beyond Boundaries

While the company’s early work was rooted in Kerala, its reach has expanded into Tamil Nadu and other parts of India, with pilot projects now extending to international markets such as Canada.

“Farming challenges may vary across regions, but the need for efficiency, sustainability, and better decision-making is universal,” Devan says.

Yet adoption remains a challenge. Farming is inherently risk-sensitive, and new technologies are often met with caution. To address this, the company initially offered its services free of cost, allowing farmers to see results before committing.

“Trust is the biggest barrier,” Devan says. “Farmers need to see the impact on their own fields before they adopt something new.”

The Future from Above

As climate pressures intensify and resource constraints deepen, agriculture is entering a new phase—one where data and precision will define productivity.

“Technology alone cannot solve agriculture,” Devan emphasises. “But when it is aligned with the realities of farmers and ecosystems, it can become a powerful tool for transformation.”

What began in the aftermath of a flood has now evolved into a model for the future—where farming is not just guided by tradition, but informed by intelligence.

Because the future of agriculture may not lie only in the soil—but in how we see it from above.

The world is building more coal plants, but using less coal than before. That contradiction lies at the centre of a new report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM), an international organisation that tracks energy infrastructure and the global shift toward cleaner power.

According to GEM, whose databases and research are widely used by institutions including the IPCC, IEA, UNEP and the World Bank, countries are continuing to expand coal power infrastructure even as coal’s role in electricity generation weakens globally.

The latest edition of GEM’s Boom and Bust 2026 report found that global coal power capacity grew by 3.5% in 2025, while coal-fired electricity generation declined by 0.6%. The report describes the trend as a major structural shift in the global energy system, where coal remains politically important in several countries even as renewable energy increasingly replaces it in practice.

China and India Drive Coal Growth

The contradiction is most visible in China and India, the world’s two largest coal consumers. Both countries commissioned large amounts of new coal capacity in 2025, even as coal generation declined because of record additions in solar and wind power.

China expanded coal capacity by 6% in 2025, while coal-fired generation fell by 1.2%. India recorded a similar pattern, with coal capacity increasing by 3.8% even as coal generation dropped by 2.9%.

The report suggests that coal’s decline is becoming increasingly durable despite global energy uncertainties, including geopolitical tensions affecting fuel supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. Renewable energy expansion has continued rapidly enough to reduce coal’s role in meeting new electricity demand.

Christine Shearer, Project Manager of GEM’s Global Coal Plant Tracker, described the trend as a defining paradox of the global energy transition.

“In 2025, the world built more coal and used it less,” she said. She added that 95% of all coal plant construction is now concentrated in China and India, even as both countries expand renewable energy fast enough to displace coal generation.

China’s Coal Pipeline Continues to Surge

China remained the dominant force in global coal expansion during 2025. The country recorded a record 161.7 GW of new and revived coal projects, while more than 500 GW of coal-fired capacity is currently under development.

The report warned that if these projects move ahead, China could remain locked into years of additional coal use throughout its 15th Five-Year Plan period from 2026 to 2030, despite official commitments to reduce coal consumption during the same timeframe.

India Expands Coal While Renewables Accelerate

India is also continuing major coal expansion plans. The country recorded 27.9 GW of new and revived coal proposals in 2025. Overall, India now has more than 107 GW of coal capacity in pre-construction planning and another 23.5 GW already under construction.

The Indian government has announced plans to add 100 GW of new coal capacity over the next seven years, even as renewable energy growth continues at record pace. In 2025, non-fossil fuel sources crossed the milestone of accounting for more than half of India’s installed electricity capacity.

Coal Development Shrinks Outside Asia

Outside China and India, coal development is shrinking rapidly. Only 32 countries were proposing or building new coal plants in 2025, down from 38 countries the previous year and less than half the 75 countries pursuing coal expansion in 2014.

Coal construction activity outside China and India accounted for just 5% of global coal construction capacity in 2025, marking a record low and highlighting how geographically concentrated coal development has become.

Several regions also made notable progress away from coal. Latin America achieved “No New Coal” status in 2025, while South Korea committed to a complete coal phaseout.

Türkiye, which is preparing to host COP31, now has only one active coal plant proposal remaining, compared with more than 70 proposed projects in 2015.

Delayed Coal Retirements Raise Concerns

The report also found that retirement plans for existing coal plants are slowing in several regions. Nearly 70% of coal-fired units scheduled for retirement globally in 2025 failed to retire as planned.

In the European Union, many delays were linked to energy security concerns that emerged during the 2022–23 energy crisis. In the United States, several ageing coal plants remained operational because of direct government interventions aimed at maintaining grid reliability.

Indonesia continued expanding its coal fleet, which grew by 7% in 2025, largely driven by captive coal plants supporting nickel and aluminium processing industries.

South Asia and Southeast Asia Show Mixed Trends

Elsewhere in South Asia, Pakistan rapidly expanded distributed solar energy, helping stabilise its electricity system against volatile fossil fuel markets. Bangladesh, meanwhile, continues to face fuel supply and technical challenges linked to its fossil-fuel-based power sector.

Across Southeast Asia outside Indonesia, coal commissioning declined for the third consecutive year. However, disruptions in regional gas supplies during 2026 led some countries to rely more heavily on existing coal infrastructure as a temporary backup source.

In Africa, new coal proposals remain limited and are mainly concentrated in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Renewable Energy Reshapes the Global Energy Transition

The report concludes that coal is no longer expanding as a universally accepted solution for rising electricity demand. Instead, coal development is increasingly concentrated in a small number of countries, even as renewable energy demonstrates its ability to meet growing demand more efficiently and sustainably.