M RahmanSWOT analysis of India (Indian national SWOT)
This detailed ‘SWOT analysis of India’ aims to examine the national strengths and the weaknesses of India. It also explores the opportunities that the country should take advantage of and the threats it must fend off. India is one of the largest countries in the world. It is a country of great histories and rich cultures.
Strengths of India
India is the largest democracy on earth. It has a strong and independent judiciary system. Indians generally have very patriotic views of their nation. Economic liberalisation has created a large middle class and transformed the country into one of the world’s quickest-growing economies. This has elevated its geopolitical clout as well.
India has a massive domestic market. Its current population is over 1.3 billion. It officially recognises a number of languages. Its economy is one of the largest (5th) in the world with worth over $2.6 trillion (Worldometer, 2021). It is ranked 15th in the world in terms of exports, and has massive trading partners such as the USA, the UAE, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq (OEC, 2021).
India has one of the largest higher education systems in the world. It has over 51,000 institutes of higher education including over 990 universities (Statista, 2021). Some of the universities are very famous, particularly the ones that are specialist for IT and engineering education. India also has one of the largest pools of English-speaking professionals in the world. No wonder why so many Western companies have outsourced their operations to the country.
Bollywood is one of the biggest movie industries in the world. It is a pride of India. Art and theatre have flourished amongst the bustling cities of the nation. Indian movies, music, and spiritual teachings play a rising role in global culture.
India is a cricket-obsessed nation and cricket is within the blood of most Indians. It performs a dominant role in world cricket and has been the world champion twice in the ICC Cricket World Cup. Popularity of cricket in India is simply great which is evident from the fact that many youngsters are seen playing cricket in parks and alleyways even with rubber balls and makeshift wickets. India is also one of the dominant nations in hockey.
India has a great number of both natural and developed attractions that mesmerise both locals and tourists. The Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the Holy City of Varanasi, the Gateway of India, Mecca Masjid, Amer Fort, the Beaches of Goa, Agra Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, and Mahabodhi Temple are considered some of the top must see attractions in the country.
Weaknesses of India
Weakness is the next topic of discussion in the SWOT analysis of India. One of the biggest weaknesses of India is poverty. There is huge gap between the rich and the poor, and inequality has been rising rapidly for a long time. The poor struggle a great deal to manage the bare minimum needs of life. Access to education and health care services are dreams to many poor people (Oxfam International, 2021).
India is greatly diverse country; however, communal tensions sometimes disrupt its peace and tranquillity. Likewise, crimes, violence, and social segregation on the basis of caste systems are holding the country’s progress back.
Road indiscipline is a problem in India. In many places, buses, massive vans, rickshaws, bikes, people on foot, and even animals share the same lanes rising the risk for crashes. According to Statista (2021), 151 thousand fatalities were reported due to road accidents in the country in 2019 alone.
There are some other issues such as water crisis, fake news, misuse of power by politicians, flood mismanagement, slow settlement of cases, turmoil in farming industry causing massive protests by farmers, and poor policing are challenging India badly (The New Indian Express, 2019).
Opportunities for India
More export to the current trading partners is an opportunity for India. Likewise, forging bilateral and similar agreements with other countries is worth exploring. As India is a top producer of many agricultural products, it has the opportunity to become the ‘food factory’ of the world (Berg, 2020). In fact, it should put more efforts in place to deepen its relationship with the global economy.
There are many opportunities for international businesses to invest in India. The cost of labour is low, and a skilled and English-speaking work force is available as well. Therefore, more and more international businesses are expected to outsource some of their operations to the country. This is likely to improve the economic conditions of India.
India can perhaps play the biggest role to turn South East Asia into a region of progress, safety, and envy to the rest of the world. The recent conciliatory tones adopted by the officials and many politicians in Pakistan should show a ray of light to all who love to see this part of the world thrive.
Threats to India
India has unresolved territorial disputes with China and Pakistan. All these three countries are very powerful and therefore, constant efforts must be put in place to avert any disputes and clashes. Likewise, India has a number of competitors in different fields on global stage.
Natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, rains, heat waves, and droughts affect India regularly. According to a UN report cited in Sharma (2021) 79,732 people lost their lives and 108 crore people were affected in 321 natural disasters between 2000 and 2019. Likewise, the global lockdowns in 2020 have pushed millions of people below the poverty line.
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Last update: 21 March 2021
References:
Berg, M. (2020) Three opportunities for India, available at: https://www.theweek.in/theweek/business/2020/02/22/three-opportunities-for-india.html (accessed 19 March 2021)
OEC (2021) India, available at: https://oec.world/en/profile/country/ind (accessed 18 March 2021)
Oxfam International (2021) India: extreme inequality in numbers, available at: https://www.oxfam.org/en/india-extreme-inequality-numbers (accessed 19 March 2021)
Statista (2021) Number of higher educational institutions across India in 2019, available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/660862/higher-education-institutions-bytype-india/ (accessed 19 March 2021)
The New Indian Express (2019) Here are the eight challenges that India is facing, https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2019/aug/18/here-are-the-eight-challenges-that-india-is-facing-2019519.html (accessed 19 March 2021)
Worldometer (2021) India population, available at: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/india-population/ (accessed 19 March 2021)
Author: M Rahman
M Rahman writes extensively online and offline with an emphasis on business management, marketing, and tourism. He is a lecturer in Management and Marketing. He holds an MSc in Tourism & Hospitality from the University of Sunderland. Also, graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a BA in Business & Management Studies and completed a DTLLS (Diploma in Teaching in the Life-Long Learning Sector) from London South Bank University.
