India is ranked 4th on GDP. But, Singapore is ranked 27th. So is India richer than Singapore? Here is a quick backstory:- By 2047, we will be a 40 Tr$ economy. And, by this point, we will be a developed economy. This is a matter of great celebration. NO DOUBT. And, we should be proud. Having said this, if you look around, you will find that India ranks around 140th on GDP/Capita. No one seems to even talk about this number (like ever!). This means that while India is growing GDP wise, an 'average' Indian is still quite poor. Question comes WHY? [1] Our GDP comes from domestic consumption, not exports. For decades we have run, trade deficit, not trade surplus (i.e we import more and export less) [2] Singapore on the other hand, runs a trade surplus. In 2021 for example, they had a trade surplus of 126Bn$, which is almost 32% of their GDP. [3] Interestingly, Japan, Germany, China (three countries which are ahead of us in terms of GDP), all run trade surplus (generally) US is the only exception that runs a trade deficit (like India). But, they are a special case as they hold the reserve currency. They can print their fake money and buy real goods from the world to the extent they want. And, still not cause a panic. So to cut the long-story short, I don't know if India is richer than Singapore. May be it is, may be it is not. Logically speaking, I don't know if a country can truly become rich without running a trade surplus. Even if we look at history, this holds true. For 1700 years, India controlled 25-33% of world's wealth. Even during this phase, India was a net exporter of finished good. Point is: Economics is complex. And, I am giving you all this info, so that you can understand the picture more holistically. My goal is promote rational thinking. As this is becoming a dying art in the times of fake media narratives.

[1] A young person, struggles with money. [2] A middle aged person, struggles with time. [3] An old person, struggles with energy. Excelling academically when you are kid, usually solves your money problems. Planning ahead of time (financially!), probably gives you some free time when you are middle aged. Working out when you are you are young/middle aged, usually keeps you fitter when you are old. You don't need to constantly keep "worrying" about the future. But planning for better health, wealth and time -- will keep your life smooth(er). This is probably the reason why: humans are the only specie that are capable of forward thinking.