Indian Economy

India is a South Asian country that is the seventh largest in area and has the second largest population in the world. India covers an area of 3,287,240 square km (India geography) and its population stands at 1.215 billion people in 2010 (India population) . India has great plains, long coastlines and majestic mountains. Thus, the land has abundant resources. India shares its borders with China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Understanding the Indian Economy
Large, dynamic and steadily expanding, the Indian economy is characterized by a huge workforce operating in many new sectors of opportunity.

The Indian economy is one of the fastest growing economies and is the 12th largest in terms of the market exchange rate at $1,430.02 billion (2010 India GDP). In terms ofpurchasing power parity, the Indian economy ranks the fourth largest in the world. However, poverty still remains a major concern besides disparity in income.
The Indian economy has been propelled by the liberalization policies that have been instrumental in boosting demand as well as trade volume. The growth rate has averaged around 7% since 1997 and India was able to keep its economy growing at a healthy rate even during the 2007-2009 recession, managing a 9.668 % growth rate in 2010 (India GDP Growth). The biggest boon to the economy has come in the shape of outsourcing. Its English speaking population has been instrumental in making India a preferred destination for information technology products as well as business process outsourcing.

The economy of India is as diverse as it is large, with a number of major sectors including manufacturing industries, agriculture, textiles and handicrafts, and services. Agriculture is a major component of the Indian economy, as over 66% of the Indian population earns its livelihood from this area.
However, the service sector is greatly expanding and has started to assume an increasingly important role. The fact that the Indian speaking population in India is growing by the day means that India has become a hub of outsourcing activities for some of the major economies of the world including the United Kingdom and the United States. Outsourcing to India has been primarily in the areas of technical support and customer services.

Other areas where India is expected to make progress include manufacturing, construction of ships, pharmaceuticals, aviation, biotechnology, tourism, nanotechnology, retailing and telecommunications. Growth rates in these sectors are expected to increase dramatically.

Despite the liberalization the economy still largely controlled by the government and the 500+ major companies it owns, which together are worth around US$500 billion, or around 40% of GDP at current exchange rates. Thanks to past profligate spending, government debt is running at around 80% of GDP. Servicing the interest payments on that debt is now the single largest component of the federal budget. Fiscal discipline and deficit reduction is therefore vital for India's future prospects.
It is also crucial to understand that India is driven primarily by domestic (consumer) consumption. This stands in marked contrast to Japan, the Asian Tigers and now China, all of whom have followed the export-oriented model.
With the massive growth of the Indian middle class, this vast country may become Asia's first major 'buy' economy.