India Rings in the New Year with the Chaos — or the Charm — of No Doctrine Whatsoever
As advanced economies drown in their own existential angst, India’s secret sauce is a glorious mishmash of hustle, handouts, and family drama that somehow keeps the whole circus running.
Ah, the new year — that magical time when the world pretends to reinvent itself. While the West pops champagne and vows to hit the gym, ageing populations, killer robots stealing jobs, and a full-blown "loneliness epidemic" (yes, the US Surgeon General actually called it that — apparently half the adults there are moping around despite having everything but friends) are forcing everyone to ask: "How do we not fall apart while chasing the bag?"
Nations, like hungover resolution-makers, are soul-searching. Growth? Nice, but not enough. Efficiency? Fragile as a New Year's diet. Prosperity without someone to share the memes? Recipe for disaster.
Most countries pick a lane: hardcore individualism (go big or go home alone) or suffocating collectivism (harmony at the cost of fun). The individualists crank out innovation and iPhones, but end up with citizens so isolated they're basically talking to their smart fridges. (Nearly half of American adults report loneliness — that's what happens when freedom comes without mandatory family dinners.) The collectivists? Cozy safety nets, but innovation moves at the speed of government paperwork. Risk-taking? Nah, better not rock the boat.
Enter India, stumbling into the new year without the luxury — or the straitjacket — of any single ideology. We've never bothered with one. Why choose when you can have it all in one big, noisy package?
Our vibe? Ambition on steroids, but with a family group chat ready to bail you out. Competition? Sure, but softened by aunties force-feeding you during failures. "Make in India" screams "Go global, crush it!" while "Viksit Bharat" whispers "But let's make sure everyone gets a slice, okay?" Growth isn't just flashy GDP numbers — it's supposed to lift the masses, with dignity and freebies thrown in.
And boy, do we love our welfare buffet. Free grains, houses, toilets, health insurance, cash straight to bank accounts — these aren't pity handouts; they're the ultimate cheat code. They cushion the crashes at the bottom so the top can keep swinging for the fences. In pure capitalist wonderlands, failure means ramen and regret. Here? Failure means moving back with mom, who'll cook better than ramen anyway.
The stats? Hilarious proof we're onto something. With per-capita income that wouldn't buy a coffee in New York, India boasts over 1.57 lakh recognized startups (as of late 2024, courtesy of the government patting itself on the back). Third-largest ecosystem globally! This isn't Silicon Valley magic funded by venture capitalists in hoodies. No, this is innovation powered by joint families sharing the Wi-Fi bill, communities shrugging at flops ("Beta, try again!"), and schemes ensuring you don't starve while pivoting.
Work life? The ILO says more than half the workforce is self-employed — often politely called "informal." Translation: When the economy sneezes, Indians don't get fired; we just reinvent — sell chai, drive cabs, launch another app. Shocks hit? We jiggle around them like pros.
And ambition? Undimmed. Indian CEOs run half of Silicon Valley, docs save lives worldwide, researchers win Nobels (okay, occasionally). Debates are deafening, rules are... suggestions, authority gets roasted daily. Progress is patchy, chaotic, and gloriously alive. Stagnation? What's that?
India's institutions creak, governance groans under the weight, but our social fabric? It's stretchy spandex — elastic enough for billion-dollar dreams and total disasters. Belonging doesn't kill drive; drive doesn't demand solitude. We don't resolve the individual-vs-collective tug-of-war. We just live it, one family wedding, one startup flop, one welfare scheme at a time.
So here's to 2026: May the West find some friends, the East loosen up, and India keep muddling through magnificently — doctrine-free and drama-full.
Sanjay Pattnayak
Sundargarh
