Photo Gallery India Falls Behind
Two decades after the start of its economic miracle, India is falling behind its rival China. Corruption is rampant, and investors are pulling out of the country. Will parliamentary elections next year offer a fresh start? Here, a guard at the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota. The country aims to join the world's deep-space pioneers.
One third of all Indians scrape by on less than $1.25 (0.90 euros) a day. Only high growth rates will help them move closer to prosperity.
But the disappointing state of the economy can also be seen in the depreciation of the country's currency. The rupee has lost about 12 percent of its value against the dollar since the beginning of 2013, which makes imports, especially oil, more expensive. India's hunger for that particular resource is the primary reason why the country's trade balance is so deeply in the red.
For many, India's new hope is Narendra Modi, 63, the leading candidate for the opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and especially corporate leaders and young urbanites long for him to deliver them from the collective torpor.
