India’s Growth Model Is Not China’s And Shouldn’t Be: Shamika Ravi Outlines India’s Next Policy Priorities

New Delhi: India’s development path is fundamentally different from China’s and must remain so, economist and Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council member Shamika Ravi said at the India Economic Summit 2025, stressing that India’s demographic realities, societal structure and policy priorities require a distinct growth framework.

Ravi said China’s rise was shaped by aggressive state-driven manufacturing expansion, strict population controls and heavy centralised messaging — including large-scale international media campaigns designed to craft a global narrative of power and stability.

“China is building a narrative using media campaigns”, she said, pointing out that Beijing’s communication strategy has contributed to its strong visibility worldwide, even as it restricts press freedom domestically.

India, she argued, must avoid copying that model and instead strengthen democratic institutions, inclusive policy and social systems that support both families and workforce participation.

Demographics: A Critical Divergence

Ravi warned that India is now experiencing a demographic shift similar to advanced economies - but without their support structures. India’s fertility rate has already fallen below replacement level, and the growing share of women delaying or choosing not to have children is emerging as a national concern.

“This is becoming a crisis”, Ravi said, noting that the decline is not about awareness but about economic pressures, lack of support and disproportionate childcare burdens placed on women. China faced a similar turning point after decades of the one-child policy - and is now spending heavily to reverse a shrinking workforce. India, she said, must not wait to respond.
 

Family-Friendly Policies Key to Economic Growth

Strengthening support for families must become a core economic priority if India wants to maintain growth momentum, economist Shamika Ravi said during her address at the India Economic Summit 2025.

“Family-friendly policy is critical for growth,” Ravi stated, arguing that women cannot balance childcare and careers without systems that support them.

She called for affordable childcare, flexible workforce structures, maternity and parental benefits, and social recognition of caregiving roles - especially homemakers. Without these reforms, she said, more women will exit both the formal workforce and motherhood, accelerating India’s fertility decline.

Ravi added that India must shift from viewing homemaking as an undervalued domestic role to recognising it as a foundational pillar of household stability and long-term national productivity.

Why International Media Covers China: Narrative Power Over News

China’s dominant global media visibility is the result of strategic state-driven narrative management, not organic journalistic curiosity, economist Shamika Ravi said at the India Economic Summit 2025.

Explaining the trend, Ravi said China has deliberately invested in international media partnerships, global broadcasting networks and coordinated messaging to shape how the world perceives its government, economy and geopolitical goals.

“China is building a narrative using media campaigns,” she said, noting that Beijing’s messaging model has ensured strong, consistent global visibility - even as it restricts domestic press freedom.

Ravi said the strategy offers a lesson for India: if the country does not shape its own story, others will define it.

The Social Foundation China Didn’t Have

One of Ravi’s strongest messages was cultural: India must restore respect and dignity for homemakers, who she described as the backbone of both families and future workforce formation.

She contrasted this with China’s historically utilitarian approach to population and labour, arguing that India’s strength lies in valuing household stability, care work and gender balance — not industrial output alone.

“Reverse falling fertility, and restore pride in the Indian household”, she said, calling this a defining pillar of India’s next policy phase.

India Must Reverse Falling Fertility and Restore Respect for Homemakers

India’s next major policy focus must be reversing the country’s rapidly declining fertility rate and restoring dignity to homemakers, economist Shamika Ravi said during the India Economic Summit 2025.

She argued that the role of caregivers remains undervalued in modern economic discourse despite being central to family stability and societal functioning.

Ravi said India must treat homemaking as a respected economic and social contribution, not an outdated identity. Supporting households, she added, is essential not only for cultural continuity but also for sustaining workforce levels in the coming decades.

Calling this the new policy mantra, “Reverse falling fertility, and restore pride in the Indian household”.

A Different Path - On Purpose

Ravi concluded that India’s growth story will not - and must not - resemble China’s. Where China relied on state control, demographic engineering and global messaging, India’s future depends on supportive policy, demographic balance, institutional strength and an economy aligned with families and social stability. “India must tell its own story - and build its own model”, she said.

The India Economic Summit 2025 is proudly presented by TVS Motor Company. This event is Co-Powered by Adani Group, and Nippon India Mutual Fund, whilst being held in association with Ravin Group, Bhutani Infra and ProstarM. The special partner for this summit is Engineers India Limited (EIL), and the state partner being Haryana Government.

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