China shows the way, but Indian development could be better
A weeklong visit to Mumbai has confirmed that China continues to hold sway over life in urban, and probably rural, India. But, in terms of quality of life and infrastructure, the aspiring economic superpower (with the goal of a $5 trillion GDP by 2024) still has a lot of catching up to do with the world's second-largest economy.
Via ubiquitous billboards, China's Xiaomi proudly claims it is India's "No 1 smartphone". One of Mumbai metro railway line's terminal stations has been rechristened "Vivo Ghatkopar". The Chinese smartphone brand's logo is plastered all over, including on the side panels of escalators. Other Chinese tech brands such as Oppo and OnePlus are popular, too.
Sany's cranes and excavators are seen all over Mumbai as preliminary digging work on several new metro lines has begun at the same time. Paytm (pronounced pay-tea-em), the e-payments gateway funded by China's Alibaba Group and its affiliate Ant Financial, is fast metamorphosing into a killer all-in-one app, in the mold of WeChat and Alipay.
