P.V. Narasimha Rao: Architect of Modern India

In hindsight, what is happening today with the rise of India and China is not some miraculous novelty — as it is usually depicted in the Western press — so much as a return to the traditional pattern of global trade in the medieval and ancient world, where gold drained from West to East in payment for silks and spices and all manner of luxuries undreamed of in the relatively primitive capitals of Europe"

-Why India's Rise is Business As Usual

The beginning of this rise in India was in 1991, when P.V. Narasimha Rao became the Prime Minister of India after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Rao formed a minority Congress government and inducted Dr. Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister in his cabinet. During that time, India had a balance of payments crisis and was on a brink of default. One of the first things that Rao and Dr. Singh did was to devalue the rupee and open up the economy. Foreign capital started flowing in along with foreign goods and host of other new things started happening. The story of India has never been the same again.

Mr. Rao was India's PM for 5 years and at the end of his term, he was the first PM outside of Nehru-Gandhi family to be in office for a full term. He is still the longest serving Indian PM south of Vindhyas. Even though he has the dubious distinction of being the first and only PM of India to be convicted on corruption charges and cheating, he was fortunate to have been cleared of every case against him. It is difficult to point out which of these is the primary reason for not giving him his due share of recognition as AN ARCHITECT of MODERN INDIA, if not THE ARCHITECT of MODERN INDIA.

The people at the helm of affairs in India at present may not recognize this man's contribution, but hopefully the future generations will honor him!