India: a land of high human capital, rich culture and a growing economy. But is it, as the argument goes, a rising superpower? This newspaper firmly believes that India is an emerging superpower and will overtake the US and China in a few years. In this essay I will explore the relevance of the above statement and evaluate how valid it is. The main topic of this essay focuses on the society and economy of India. The Indian economy is growing strongly and at an extremely rapid pace. However, it is still a developing country, due to widespread poverty in the country. 11.8% of India's population is below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day. This is what is stated below. As shown on the map, we can see a strong level of poverty in the North and North West. This is further supported by the fact that one of India's poorest provinces, Bihar, is located on the northern border of Nepal. 81.4% of the population of this province is extremely poor. However, we are also seeing a strong middle class of educated workers. In fact, India's middle class is the same size as the entire population of the United States (250 million in 2015). But how can this be so, with so many citizens living below the poverty line? A mix of rapid urbanization and a growing workforce can provide answers to the rapid growth of the economy and the middle class. Half of India's population is under the age of 25 and around 12-15 million workers are added to its job sector every year. People living in poverty are employed, which leads to the creation of a higher middle class and a more educated society. This obviously complements the growing economy and, in turn, pushes India on the path to becoming a superpower. In summary, the... middle of the document......line] Available at: http:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_India [Accessed 20 May. 2014]. Wikipedia, (2014). Potential superpowers. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_superpowers [Accessed 21 May. 2014]. Wikipedia, (2014). Superpower. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superpower [Accessed 21 May. 2014]. Mapsofindia.com, (2014). India poverty map. [online] Available at: http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/poverty.html [Accessed 26 May. 2014].The Guardian, (2013). India's trade: complete list of exports, imports and partner countries. [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/feb/22/cameron-india-trade-exports-imports-partners [Accessed 26 May. 2014]. Wikipedia, (2014). Poverty in India. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India [Accessed 26 May. 2014].