Globalisation? Uganda, Botswana beat India

Did somebody say India Shining?

Well, the A T Kearney/Foreign Policy Globalization Index for 2004 surely does not think so.

The index ranks second from last in its globalisation index for the year 2004, even as India hopes to open up its markets further, give a strong push to its economic reforms and liberalisation programmes, attract more foreign investment and achieve a GDP growth rate of 8 per cent.

The annual index ranks 62 nations under 14 variables grouped in four baskets: economic integration, personal contact, technological connectivity, and political engagement. India stands 61st on the list.

The index reveals that 'even as the world economy slowed, Internet growth in poor countries and increased cross-border travel deepened global links.' Last year, Ireland and Switzerland topped the ranking of personal, political, economic, and technological globalisation in 62 countries.

Ireland topped the list this year too, while Singapore moved up from third place to second, switching places with Switzerland.

India was ranked 61, down four places from last year, while Iran came last again at 62. Among other South Asian nations, Pakistan was ranked at 46, Sri Lanka at 51, and Bangladesh at 56.

The sections under which the countries were assessed were economic integration (trade, portfolio, foreign direct investment and investment income); personal (telephone, travel, remittances and personal transfers); technology (Internet users, Internet hosts and secure Internet servers) and political (international organisations, UN peacekeeping, treaties and government transfers).

Measuring globalisation

Source: 2004