India, June 21 -- For a nation to rise to the level of a superpower, it must possess not only military might, scientific innovation, economic strength, and industrial depth, but also something far less tangible - soft power. In the 20th century, the notion that a newly independent and economically fragile India could one day stake its claim as a global superpower seemed far-fetched. Today, that vision is not only conceivable - it's within reach. Since 1947, India has come a long way.
With a GDP that ranks fifth globally and expected to become the third-largest by the end of the decade, with one of the world's largest and best-trained armed forces, India has many of the hard power ingredients necessary for superpower status. Technologically...