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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nFor years, 21st-century geopolitics has been framed as a heavyweight bout between Washington and Beijing. But what if the most consequential player isn\u2019t in either corner?The world\u2019s fastest-growing major economy \u2014 and its most populous nation \u2014 isn\u2019t China. It\u2019s India.As other major powers age, India\u2019s greatest export may simply be its people. So what could that mean for the global order?On the podcast \u201cInteresting Times,\u201d host Ross Douthat spoke with international relations scholar Amitav Acharya about demographics, growth and what Acharya calls a \u201cmultiplex\u201d world \u2014 one shaped by several rising powers, not a single superpower.Here are five takeaways from the NYT conversation on why this could be India\u2019s century:<\/p>\n The \u201cthird pole\u201d envisions India as an independent center of global power \u2014 distinct from both the United States and China.Instead of aligning fully with Washington or Beijing, India would act as its own gravitational force: a top-three economy, a strategic power in the Indian Ocean, a demographic heavyweight and a diplomatic swing state engaging both sides without formal alliances.In Acharya\u2019s \u201cmultiplex world order,\u201d power is distributed among several major actors \u2014 and India is one of them.<\/p>\n Acharya acknowledged that China industrialized and reduced poverty faster. But he cautioned against a short-term lens.In the early post-independence decades, India played a significant role in Asian affairs while China was consolidating Communist rule. Though China later surged ahead, India\u2019s recent growth rates have outpaced China\u2019s \u2014 albeit from a lower base.India has also preserved its democratic system. The key challenge now is jobs. If India expands trade access \u2014 especially with Europe and the United States \u2014 it could combine growth with greater economic resilience.<\/p>\n While China faces a collapsing birthrate and rapid aging, India is entering a \u201cdemographic dividend\u201d phase \u2014 a large working-age population with fewer elderly dependents.Unlike China, India never implemented a one-child policy, leaving it with a younger labor force.But demographics are not destiny. Without job creation, education reform and skill development, the dividend could become a liability. Integration into global supply chains \u2014 blending manufacturing with services and technology \u2014 will be critical.<\/p>\n India\u2019s strategy has evolved from Cold War \u201cnon-alignment\u201d to what Acharya calls \u201cmulti-alignment.\u201dThe goal: avoid overdependence on any single power. India maintains ties with the U.S., engages Russia and deepens trade with the European Union \u2014 all while preserving strategic autonomy.This balancing act works so long as major powers tolerate flexibility. It becomes harder if Washington demands countries choose sides.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned the Indian diaspora into a diplomatic asset, staging major events in U.S. cities to showcase global influence.Yet American understanding of India still lags behind its focus on China. Indian Americans have risen prominently in tech and politics, but their success \u2014 especially in Silicon Valley and through H-1B visas \u2014 has triggered backlash amid rising populism.Acharya argues the resentment reflects broader anti-immigrant currents rather than direct job displacement. Politically diverse, parts of the diaspora appear to be trending conservative \u2014 in some cases as a path toward assimilation in a polarized America.<\/div>\n\nThird pole<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Faster growth than China<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Demographic advantage
<\/h3>\n<\/p>\nMulti-alignment
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