When the Mughals first came to India they were drawn by the lure of her fabulous wealth - India was known as the "Sone Ki Chidiya," literally - "The Golden Bird".
According to economic historian Angus Maddison in his book The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective, India had the world's largest economy in the 1st century and 11th century, with a 33% share of world GDP in the 1st century and 29% in 1000 CE. During 1700 AD, Mughal era, India’s share was 24%, more than the whole of Western Europe. It came down to 3.8% in 1950s. Paul Kennedy, in his highly regarded book, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000 estimates that in 1750 India's share of the world trade was nearly 25 percent. It came down to 0.5% in the 1960s and now stands at around 1.5%.
The Indian economy is once again at the centre of the global attention. As domestic consumption drives economic growth in India, Future Group hopes to play a pivotal role in bringing back the Sone Ki Chidiya.|
