[BAReF00t]

You vastly underestimate the size and diversity of India. Their middle class is bigger than that of the USA or I think even that of the entire EU.

The can have a low rate on pretty much every statistic, while still having a higher total amount of it than us, simply due to.the sheer size of people. They could have an entire state, more modern, rich and with more people than Germany, while keeping their current statistics. No problem.

Also: Are you Indian (I think not), or what is your basis for the ”rootless“ statement. To us Germans, Americans appear rootless. But we are not competent to judge that!

Finally, things like this right here ARE how you get Indians out of poverty and illiteracy! Even if just via the resulting businesses lobbying for more education.

[selimthegrim]

He’s a closet Hindu nationalist

[dang]

Please don't take HN threads further into nationalistic flamewar.

[simongray]

> Their middle class is bigger than that of the USA or I think even that of the entire EU.

According to Wikipedia: "Indian middle class is 3% or 40 million of Indian population."

That's not a whole lot of people and definitely not comparable to North America or Europe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_of_living_in_India

[accidentaldev]

The same article has other stat that says anywhere between 30-300 million are considered middle class.

Is there a consensus among economists on what the real number is ?

[geogra4]

It's about the same size as France, who matches India in real gdp