All kinds of yoga poses have been adopted by Narendra Modi, and it hasn’t won him the praise of his people, who regard his behaviour as attention-seeking and not getting to the important points of his leadership. A brainstorming event for the banking sector for example, kicked off with a yoga workout. Hasmukh Adhia, India’s secretary of finance made it clear that the bank bosses were expected to attend this event. Promoting yoga is regarded by some as a “gimmick that is indicative of broader disappointment with the regime”. The 64 year old leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party is struggling to improve the state of the allegedly floundering Indian economy. However he has put India back on the world stage as a rising superpower and John Kerry (US Secretary of State) and Lord Livingston (British trade minister) have recently attended a trade summit in Gujarat, where Modi was a business-friendly leader for 13 years as its chief minister. More than 60 British companies attended inlcluding witnessing an announcement of a £1.5bn investment in the power sector and the opening of a British built power station.
In 2010 the Indian economy had an 8.5% growth per year, but more recently the figure is 5%, so Modi’s promise of huge economic development is still a challenge to him. Trade delegations have been led by Nick Clegg and Xi Jinping, the Chinese President. Later this month The American President Barack Obama, will be guest of honour at India’s Republic Day celebrations. Modi has travelled quite widely himself whilst being in office, and received an accolade “may the force be with you” from Hugh Jackman in New York’s Central Park last September.
Critics of the Modi government inlcude Mohan Guruswamy, economic analyst, who said his regime had failed in its first budget to cut the large subsidies of the previous administration.
However India is in no way alone in the fight to create and improve economic states of play. Please post any comments on this below.