The growth rate in India averaged a little less than 9.5 per cent for the three years ended March 2008. It is recognised that to meet the aspirations of the youth for jobs, a 10 per cent per annum secular growth is necessary. There are concerns about certain preconditions in terms of avoiding an upsurge in inflation, increasing gross domestic savings to match up to investment requirements, ensuring equitable distribution in income and spreading the growth impulses more evenly through the economy.

More importantly, in the international debate on the burden sharing of the locomotive of growth, it is necessary to highlight relative standards of living in India and China.

India-China Per Capita Incomes

To ensure equitable burden sharing in the global economy it is useful to see the long-term per capita income levels in the two countries which would emerge based on certain assumptions. Let us assume that India keeps growing at 10 per cent per annum and China grows at 6 per cent per annum. Notwithstanding that these assumptions are questionable, particularly in the long run, as China's growth rate is unlikely to be lower than that of India, these assumptions are made on the large differences in the India-China per capita incomes.

This column, Common Voice is authored by Savak Sohrab Tarapore. Mr. Tarapore, is an economist and he runs his own Multi-Language Syndicated Column. Mr. Tarapore's other column, which appears in The Hindu Business Line, is titled Maverick View.

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