GfK MODE-OUTLOOK POLL
New York, London, Beijing...54% Say India Is A Rising Power
Lately, India has acquired a palpable buzz about it: a rising power, an economicpowerhouse, a pillar of stability, a country whose time has come. It's invited to the hightable to sup with the big powers. Praises are showered on India for what it is, there aregrandiose expectations of what it could still become. Are these just the sentiments ofpolicy wonks? Or do those anonymous faces thronging the streets of different cities in theworld too share in this great buzz about India? For answers, Outlook commissioned GfK Modeto conduct surveys in New York, London and Beijing, quizzing their citizens on how theysee India. GfK is the fifth-largest research company in the world, and recently tied upwith Mode, a reputed research company operating for the past 25 years in India.
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| Figures in % | ALL | NY | Lndn | Bjng |
| NEW YORK | LONDON | BEIJING | ||
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| Which of these best describes India? | ||||
| A global power | 10 | 9 | 5 | 16 |
| A rising power | 54 | 50 | 61 | 51 |
| A nuclear weapons state | 8 | 5 | 9 | 10 |
| A Third World country | 25 | 31 | 20 | 23 |
| Dont know/cant say | 3 | 4 | 5 | - |
| How apt are the following attributes describing Indians? | ||||
| Hard-working and disciplined | 91 | 82 | 44 | |
| Spiritual | 91 | 79 | 85 | |
| Corrupt | 28 | 14 | 24 | |
| Lazy and inefficient | 4 | 2 | 22 | |
| Tolerant and non-violent | 61 | 54 | 46 | |
| Dogmatic and fanatical | 24 | 10 | 25 | |
| Intelligent and intellectual | 85 | 75 | 65 | |
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| Should India be made a permanent member of the UN Security Council? | ||||
| Yes | 56 | 72 | 59 | 37 |
| No | 30 | 19 | 13 | 58 |
| Dont know/cant say | 13 | 9 | 29 | 5 |
| What is the possibility of India becoming an economic superpower in the next ten years? | ||||
| It is certain | 5 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| There is a large possibility | 33 | 38 | 33 | 28 |
| There is a small possibility | 38 | 37 | 35 | 41 |
| Almost impossible | 16 | 11 | 13 | 24 |
| Completely impossible | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Dont know/cant say | 6 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
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| Which of the following best represents your opinion about the US-India-China relationship in the future? | ||||
| India and America ally against China | 17 | 19 | 9 | 23 |
| India and China ally against America | 14 | 6 | 12 | 25 |
| America and China ally to dominate the world | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| India and China go to war to dominate Asia | 18 | 11 | 17 | 26 |
| Dont know/cant say | 42 | 55 | 54 | 16 |
| Between India and China, which country do you think is better to invest in? | ||||
| India | 23 | 35 | 27 | 8 |
| China | 63 | 50 | 51 | 84 |
| Neither | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Dont know/cant say | 12 | 13 | 19 | 5 |
| Do you think India can rival China as an Asian Superpower ? | ||||
| Yes | 38 | 45 | 40 | 30 |
| No | 52 | 45 | 45 | 68 |
| Dont know/cant say | 9 | 11 | 15 | 2 |
| Will India overtake China economically by the end of the next decade? | ||||
| Yes | 16 | 17 | 13 | 17 |
| No | 72 | 69 | 66 | 82 |
| Dont know/cant say | 12 | 14 | 21 | 1 |
| Do you think India and China will go to war with each other in the future? | ||||
| Yes | 15 | 14 | 5 | 25 |
| No | 69 | 73 | 65 | 70 |
| Dont know/cant say | 16 | 13 | 30 | 5 |
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| Which one of the following is the most likely outcome in the Indo-Pak dispute over Kashmir? | ||||
| Solve the Kashmir problem and make peace | 39 | 24 | 49 | 44 |
| Go to war, but no use of nuclear weapons | 28 | 26 | 29 | 30 |
| Go to war using nuclear weapons | 7 | 13 | 6 | 3 |
| Dont know anything about the Kashmir problem | 14 | 20 | 3 | 18 |
| Cant say | 12 | 17 | 13 | 5 |
| Do the following things about India interest you? (Affirmative responses given below) | ||||
| Wealth of historic monuments | 70 | 81 | 76 | |
| Wildlife and natural beauty | 71 | 83 | 68 | |
| Economic growth | 81 | 59 | 55 | |
| The people of India | 80 | 83 | 31 | |
| Food/cuisine | 56 | 85 | 27 | |
| Religion and spirituality | 56 | 51 | 51 | |
| Hindi cinema/ Bollywood | 33 | 30 | 76 | |
| How likely is it that India, with its multi-ethnic, multi-religious society, will disintegrate into smaller states? | ||||
| It is certain | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| There is a large possibility | 8 | 12 | 9 | 4 |
| There is a small possibility | 37 | 41 | 51 | 19 |
| Almost impossible | 32 | 22 | 15 | 57 |
| Completely impossible | 8 | 5 | 7 | 13 |
| Dont know/cant say | 13 | 19 | 16 | 3 |
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| * Some figures may not add up to 100 as they have been rounded off | ||||
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| Methodology | ||||
| The study was conducted with the help of a close-ended questionnaire. Respondents were interviewed telephonically using the CATI (computer-aided telephonic interview) technology. Some 150 respondents were interviewed in each of the three citiesNew York, London and Beijing. All five boroughs of New York were covered. In London, those residing within Zone 5 and 6 of the Underground were interviewed. All urban districts within Beijing were covered. The interviews were conducted in the last week of July 2006. | ||||
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