Thinking Big

Dinesh Dhamija, Founder - Ebookers - @dinesh_dhamija
 
Many state visits are just window-dressing. Politicians make vague promises of lasting friendship, business leaders discuss investment opportunities and the media queries the visiting leader’s human rights record.
There is something about Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States this week which feels different. It’s not just the lavish welcome that he’s receiving: a full State visit, reserved for only a small handful of world leaders; not just the size of the trade, technology, military, energy and political cooperation that could result; not even the explicit treatment of India as a bulwark against Chinese aggression.
What feels different is India’s status.
Americans love big things. They love being the world’s biggest economy, with the biggest companies, cars, planes. So when India announced earlier this year that it is now the world’s most populous country, Americans paid attention. They also discovered that India had ove...