Manmohan Singh and the making of the Indian miracle 

[WASHINGTON, DC] At a time when demagogic populists often overshadow experienced, empathetic politicians, the recent passing of former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh at the age of 92 serves as a stark reminder of how our perceptions of leadership have changed.

Singh, who led India from 2004 to 2014, was not only an adept politician who spearheaded his country’s economic reforms with the backing of then-Indian National Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and his own predecessor Narasimha Rao. He was also a gentle and open-minded person – a true global citizen. And he will almost certainly be remembered as the architect of India’s transformation from one of the world’s poorest, slowest-growing countries into the emerging power it is today.

Before becoming prime minister, Singh had already held several prominent roles in government and policymaking, including governor of the Reserve Bank of India (1982-85) and secretary-general of the South Commission in Geneva (1985-87). In 1991, he was appointed finance minister during one of the worst periods in India’s economic history. Although the country had made some progress since gaining independence in 1947, it remained deeply impoverished and plagued by slow per-capita income growth, low health and educational standards, frequent power outages, and woefully inadequate transportation, communications, and water and sanitation infrastructure.