India has by some distance been the hottest actor on the world economic stage in the first half of February. Its muscular economic brand building is now the talking point of top world leaders and global media conglomerates including those that run social media.

In February Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged-off the marquee Mumbai-Delhi Expressway built at a cost of USD 12.5 billion (Rs 1,00,000 crore). This is a project that has catapulted India’s image as an economic powerhouse exponentially, it is a symbol of the nation’s growing financial muscle and ability to deliver mega projects.

It was in the mid-1950s that American President Dwight D. Eisenhower helped usher in an unprecedented economic boom in the US following the two World Wars by signing the historical Federal-Aid Highway Act. In the US, it unleashed the formidable Interstate Highway System—the modern freeways on which the wheels of America’s economic fortunes have been rolling smoothly for decades.

Likewise, today PM Modi has put in a strong and powerful system of world class highways across the length and breadth of the country, with many more to come. The Mumbai-Delhi highway resonates with the idea of making India a super power that has leapfrogged many economies in the last nine years. Connecting the nation’s administrative capital with its financial one, the expressway will cut driving time between the two metropolises from 24 hours to eight hours. Naturally, it will result in savings of billions of dollars through reduced fuel consumption and shortened delivery times. The highway economy will see a boom with many mega projects planned on either side along the hinterland.

Soon after the highways comes the heartening news about Air India, India’s flagship carrier that is back with the Tata Group after nearly 70 years of being in the doldrums as a public sector undertaking. Air India has placed an order for 220 aircraft—including 190 Boeing 737 MAXs, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777Xs—at a whopping USD 34 billion (Rs 272,000 crore). This is equal to about two-and-a-half months of GST collection in the country. Another order for 250 aircraft has been placed with France’s Airbus by Air India. More mega orders for aircraft are due from other commercial airlines in India in 2023. This is New India, showcasing its economic and commercial clout in no uncertain manner.

There are many stories covering a gamut of topics in this issue. Hope you have a great time navigating through them.

Sayantan Chakravarty

sayantanc@gmail.com