Laying the Groundwork for Business in Asia

State Representative Erik Paulsen follows the opportunity during his travels in India and China.

December 2007 | by Erik Paulsen

Minnesota State Representative Erik Paulsen is pictured with a Kavis village elder. They are sitting on a dewan, a piece of furniture sometimes found in front of Indian homes and used for social gatherings.

Future Global Workforce

August 10. I've been reflecting a little and have some observations about the differences between India and China. India is expected to overtake China as the world's most populous country in 2030, with 1.45 billion people. Today, half of India's 1.1 billion people are under age 25. India's population challenge is to create enough jobs for those of working age today, because if it doesn't create jobs for this fast-growing population, it will never have the ability to break the cycle of having large masses of people in poverty.

While the image of India's college system is of turning out high numbers of outstanding engineers, the primary school system is not functioning as it needs to. Only 15 percent of India's students even reach high school, and only 7 percent graduate.

Many Indians educated in the United States previously stayed there for high-paying jobs and bright futures. But now they are eagerly returning home in greater numbers, knowing they can enjoy a good lifestyle and remain connected with their families.

Of course, years ago, the Chinese government was worried that if it let its citizens leave the country, they might not come back, but this is no longer the case. Many younger Chinese educated outside of the mainland are eager to return, are optimistic about the future, and intend to take care of their parents and grandparents.

> Read more excerpts from Paulsen's travelogue on tcbmag.com to get an insider's look at the Chinese and Indian economies.