Many had gone abroad for higher education, got opportunity and placed with good companies with six figure salaries and lived a much better quality of life. Some have returned to reinvent new careers in India even on meager remuneration.

Some instead of opting for working as a cog in the wheel on salaried assignments in respected companies decided to go for their own enterprise to try out their own idea of business and are making waves with their futuristic ideas and innovations. The story of Anish Joel, who runs My Earth Store in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, is one. My Earth store promotes organic and eco-friendly products made by NGOs and rural communities. Foradian, a small-town venture at Kasargod near Mangalore is another example.

Some of the young men and women had worked hard as students and got over the hurdles of the most difficult entrance tests of the world and had joined IITs, IIMs with many sweet dreams, passed out with laurels that would have fetched huge salaries and the opportunities to work in the coveted MNCs to lead a comfortable life. However, they decided to work under the government scheme to spend 2 years assisting collectors in Maoist areas.

5 IIM graduates passing out in 2012 have decided to revamp the entire education system through their unique business models.

And the few of the farmers took risk and went for a new way to farm. Darvespura village in Nalanda district of Bihar has added another first to its name by setting a world record in potato yield. The name sake of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has harvested 72.9 tonnes of potato per hectare surpassing the earlier yield record of 45 tonnes per hectare held by farmers in the Netherlands.

And it is not true that India lags in R&D. India currently has an R&D talent pool base of over 200,000 engineers growing at an average of 9 per cent a year for the last five years. Further the R&D segment witnessed a 13% salary hike and has managed to control attrition levels. The data show the satisfaction and achievement of the researchers. According to Zinnov, nearly half of the world’s largest R&D spenders have their centres in India. Interestingly, many non-US companies have started looking at the country as a viable R&D investment option and planning to set up R&D centres in this lucrative market. At present, about 28 per cent companies with HQ in Japan, EU and APAC have their centres in India and this is likely to increase.

India’s indigenous development of the products for the security of the nation showcases the potentials of Indians.
India has successfully carried out the maiden test flight of its second indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control System aircraft in Brazil.

India is well ahead with its nuclear triad (ability to launch strategic weapons from land, air and sea). However, the indigenous nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant will kick off sea trials this year.

There are also certain achievements that must make every Indian proud. Perhaps India is unique in conducting all its election electronically on EVMs even with its largest electorate in world.

India has also undertaken the Unique ID programme, which will enrolled its 1.2 billion population. The platform is designed internet-like to enable a huge range of vendors (currently government, but in the future who knows) to create applications to deliver services — public distribution system, subsidies to farmers, education vouchers, drivers’ licences, whatever. In addition to the huge boost to empowerment, this will do wonders for the budget deficit, always the single biggest constraint on India’s growth. The double-digit dream will still become a reality.

The thought of India becoming an economic superpower is no longer outlandish. Some have freedom to differ, and some questions, ‘Who says India wants to be a superpower’?