Although India is considered to be as economically promising as China, and its population is predicted to surpass China's in coming years, the two countries share little in common. While both have embraced capitalism, the role of government in fostering economic prosperity is widely disparate. In China, a strong central government has invested billions in infrastructure to permit companies to prosper and goods to move freely. In India, however, a weak government means that businesses there prosper in spite of, not because of, the government. One example is the city of Gurgaon, near New Delhi. Gurgaon is a booming city filled with malls and businesses, but it lacks basic city infrastructure such as a functioning sewer system, reliable electricity or water, public sidewalks, parking, decent roads, or any system of public transportation. Companies that operate in Gurgaon therefore provide these services to their workers, as this excellent and eye-opening article in the New York Times explains.
In Gurgaon, India, Dynamism Meets Dysfunction - NYTimes.com
