The economic prophets have billed India as an emerging global economic superpower. The imperative of turning these prophecies into reality is compelling. A strong and unbreakable link has to be established from the refinement of the past to the excitement of the present and to the potential of the future. There is a need to think of how to meet the demand and project India as a nation. India has a demographic weight—there is, of course, a 20-million strong Indian diaspora in the key countries across the globe and every sixth human being is an Indian—and it cannot afford to be fooled by the euphoria of small achievements or succumb to minor setbacks, but must prepare to forge ahead.

Empires of the future will be the empires of the mind, says Sir Winston Churchill. And the former President of India A P J Abdul Kalam identifies India's human resource base as one of its greatest core competencies in his book, India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium. All this not only recognizes the importance of knowledge possessed by individuals in determining the destinies of nations, but also subtly hints that the intellectual, cultural, social, economic and political empowerment of the individuals is the basis on which the modern world will be constructed.

A strong Indian economy, which is vying to be an economic superpower by 2020, means a robust industrial growth, strong pool of foreign capital with the RBI, sound infrastructure, better standard of living, better per capita income, better employment opportunity for all, mature financial markets, 100% financial inclusion, better amenities and hygiene facilities. Though India, with its steady economic growth and right environment, has been able to attract the world's business community, it is the HR eco-system that will make the wheels of its industry turn. Without it, start-ups can't get started and established companies can't weather the tough times or make the investments needed to gear up for the boom times.

India's strength lies in its demographics which will determine everything that a country does. More than 50% of India's population is under 25. Narendra Jadhav, a principal advisor to the RBI and a former advisor to the Executive Director of the IMF, says, "India has a great potential to become an economic super power because of its growing young population." A young population coupled with the second largest English-speaking population in the world will give India an advantage over China. But this young population though dynamic and raring to go is also a restless lot looking around for newer opportunities. Hence, attracting and placing the right people with the right skills in the right position by identifying the essential skills, interest, aptitude, attitude and behaviors is the first step to develop a knowledgeable and committed workforce. The contribution made by the knowledge-driven quality professionals with relevant industry-oriented skills will tip the global scales in the country's favor and establish it as a `superpower' in the international market.

HRM Reciew Magazine, Incredible Power of HR, Winston Churchill, A P J Abdul Kalam, Global Economic Superpower, Economic Empowerment, Political Empowerment, Financial Markets, Human Resources, Competitive Advantage, Management Crisis, Human Resource Management.