India was looted and plundered during more than 150 years of British Rule. Our share in world trade was nearly 24% , that vacuum sucked to <4% in 1947. All the skills were destroyed, and resources were plundered to feed the Colonial Greed.
The Indian National Congress fought relentlessly and with all its might till the British were hounded out.
Every national leader, beginning with Mahatma Gandhi, followed by Pt. Nehru, Sardar Patel, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad to all the Prime Ministers till 2014 (barring a few), left an indelible impact on the growth of the Nation and on Global arena.
India refused to hold on to the coat tails of either Super Powers nor participate in the Post War Treaties like NATO nor Warsaw.
India lead the Global South in the Non Aligned Movement, formed in Bandung in Indonesia under Sukharno.
Pt Nehru built massive Irrigation and Hydroelectric projects and called them the Modern Temples of New India.
During his reign Dr Kurien created the White Revolution in Gujarat and changed the face of Gujarati.
Pandit Nehru faced Chinese aggression, followed by Pt. Lal Bahadur Shastri winning the war against Pakistan in 1965. This was followed by Indira Gandhi defeating Pakistan in 1971 and liberating Bangladesh.
Pt. Nehru laid the foundations for a modern India, by building institutes of excellence in atomic energy, the IITs, IIMs, the Indian Institute of Science, and many more.
Indira Gandhi ushered in space research and conducted the Nuclear Test in 1975.
Indira Gandhi empowered Dr. MS. Swaminathan to bring about food grain self-sufficiency. India moved from a harbour-to Kitchen situation to the overflowing godowns of Food Corporations of India.
In 1969, Indira Gandhi nationalised 14 private banks, followed by another six in 1980. These banks became the growth facilitators for the industrial revolution in India.
Rajeev Gandhi triggered the National Technology Mission by aiming for Computerised Techno Revolution , Oil Seeds self sufficiency and Telecommunications. He used space Technology for Low Powered Transmission of TV signals, thus bringing TV to the nook and corner of this vast Subcontinent.
This TV reach helped the farmers to take food grains productions to the next level. These TVs not only gave education to the farmers but also gave them advanced information on the monsoon and other whether information , that helped in an improved and better informed farming.
Every major change was initiated by the INC PMs. After Atal Bihari Vajpayi conducted a second Nuclear test, India was banned by the USA led Western Powers. This blockade affected our Space and Nuclear research in a big way.
Dr. Manmohan Singh managed to sign the Indo American Nuclear Treaty, thus lifting that ban, and ensuring further growth in Technology. Today, it is the Indian Technocrats who are heading all the Giants of Technology like Microsoft, Google , and many other Tech Giants. India has emerged as the Software Super Power with TCS, Infosys, WIPRO and other IT corporations.
Dr Manmohan Singh ushered in Liberalization of economy, which unleashed the beast in Indian Entrepreneurs. India is a transformed nation and a power to reckon with in Global Geopolitics.