Hi Boyd,

I used to subscribe to Stratfor - interesting stuff! (I'm not a current subscriber though....)

Economically, I think there are many positives about India, but many negatives too (like others have said). The positives are that many Indians speak English, and there is a lot of talent there. English helps because it makes it easier to trade with the USA, UK, and many other countries. So, for example, many call centers are in India, and many programmers are nowadays from India.

On the negative side, only 52% of India's population is literate. I think this is India's biggest problem. It's much harder for illiterate people to contribute to the national economy, than those who can read and write.

I personally don't think a big population is a problem in itself (from an economic viewpoint). A big, well-educated population can be very productive, and a big economic benefit to the country. Indian programmers who sell their programming skills overseas through eLance is an example of this.

- Dien