Portal:Business/Selected economy/9
The economy of India is a developing mixed economy with a notable public sector in strategic sectors. It is the world's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and the third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP); on a per capita income basis, India ranked 141th by GDP (nominal) and 125th by GDP (PPP). From independence in 1947 until 1991, successive governments followed the Soviet model and promoted protectionist economic policies, with extensive Sovietization, state intervention, demand-side economics, natural resources, bureaucrat-driven enterprises and economic regulation. This is characterised as dirigism, in the form of the Licence Raj. The end of the Cold War and an acute balance of payments crisis in 1991 led to the adoption of a broad economic liberalisation in India and indicative planning. India has about 1,900 public sector companies, with the Indian state having complete control and ownership of railways and highways. The Indian government has major control over banking, insurance, farming, fertilizers and chemicals, airports, defense, essential utilities, and the energy sector. The state also exerts substantial control over digitalization, broadband as national infrastructure, telecommunication, supercomputing, space, port and shipping industries, which were effectively nationalised in the mid-1950s but has seen the emergence of key corporate players. (Full article...)