Mindset behind India's success, Insights from Pakistani Student

 Growing up in Pakistan, I saw a big difference between our schools and India's. Even though both countries started out the same way, India is now a very strong economy worldwide, while Pakistan has some problems. This article talks about what made India so successful. We'll look at how education, thinking differently, and social media helped India achieve its goals.

I was born in the early years of the 21st century and started school in 2007. My educational journey began in Karachi, Pakistan, where I still reside. Like most children during my school years, I had dreams of becoming either a doctor, engineer, or pilot. These were the aspirations we were encouraged to have, but none of us really knew what steps we needed to take to achieve those goals. When I completed my secondary education (matriculation), we were still unclear about how to pursue these careers. Was it a failure of the education system or simply our lack of awareness?

After finishing high school (known as college in Pakistan), I was still uncertain about my future. I wasn’t sure what field of engineering I wanted to pursue, nor did I know what specialization to choose if I wanted to become a doctor. In the end, I chose to pursue a BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) because it seemed like the field with the most opportunities. BBA offered options in HR, marketing, and supply chain, and I thought it would give me a wide range of career paths.
To my surprise, I passed the admission test for a well-known institution in Karachi, even though I had completed college during the COVID-19 pandemic, where we were promoted based on only three papers.

Now, let’s move on to the main topic. When I entered university, my understanding of career options expanded beyond just doctor, engineer, and pilot—now, BBA was also in the mix. However, as soon as my university life began, I started failing in subjects. This was because, in school and college, passing required only 33 marks out of 100, but at the university level, I needed at least 60 marks. In school, scoring 60 marks would have placed me among the top 10 students, but here, I struggled even to meet the minimum CGPA requirement of 2.5.
In my frustration, I turned to YouTube to learn how to succeed. There, I found that most of the educational videos in Urdu were created by Indian digital educators. As someone from Pakistan, where India is often considered an adversary, I was hesitant at first. However, watching these videos opened up a whole new world for me. I realized that, while I had only known of four career options, Indian YouTubers had created content on thousands of professions, complete with roadmaps for how to pursue them.

Another concept I learned from these videos was the importance of choosing a field based on one’s interests. This idea was completely new to me, as I had already enrolled in a bachelor’s program without knowing where my true passion lay. Even after graduating from high school, I still didn’t know my own interests, and that was incredibly frustrating.

However, after watching videos by Indian educators for over two and a half years, I finally discovered my interests. I wondered whether these YouTubers were giving honest advice or just chasing views, so I did further research. What I found amazed me: the 21st century truly belongs to Indians. Many CEOs of global companies are Indian, including Sundar Pichai (CEO of Google), Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft), and Leena Nair (CEO of Chanel).

This made me reflect on the fact that India and Pakistan gained independence at the same time. We look the same, share the same history, and yet, India has surged ahead. What caused this difference?
Then, I recalled a saying by Hazrat Ali (R.A.): “Wealth decreases by sharing, but knowledge increases.” This is perhaps the key to India's success. In India, when someone learns something new, they teach it to others. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, the mindset is different. People often fear that if they teach someone else, they might lose their own job.

This difference in mindset is why India is becoming the "king" of the 21st century. If you search for any topic on YouTube or Google, chances are the most comprehensive explanation will come from an Indian content creator. India’s technological advancements are also remarkable, evidenced by the fact that in 2023, their IT exports amounted to $193 billion, while Pakistan’s total GDP was only $1.96 trillion. India’s IT export alone constitutes nearly 10% of Pakistan’s entire economy!

Looking at the big picture, India’s total GDP is $3.57 trillion, making it the 5th largest economy in the world. And contrary to what some might think, it’s not just because of their large population. Countries with smaller populations, like Germany, Canada, and France, also rank among the top economies due to their strong educational systems, which guide students toward their futures from a young age.

After 2005, social media played a crucial role in India’s economic growth, as they used the internet to its fullest potential. Meanwhile, Pakistan became known as one of the top countries for consuming inappropriate content online—a bitter truth, but one that needs addressing.
In conclusion, the difference between the education systems of Pakistan and India is vast, and the Indian mindset of sharing knowledge has played a significant role in their success. I hope that people in Pakistan and around the world adopt this mindset because, as Hazrat Ali (R.A.) said, "Knowledge increases when shared.