In the corridors of history, certain figures walk not just as mere individuals but as epochs unto themselves. Dr. Manmohan Singh, who departed this world on December 26, 2024, at the venerable age of 92, was such a figure. A man of quiet dignity, profound intellect, and unshakable resolve, he transformed India’s economic landscape and catapulted the nation onto the global stage.
Born on September 26, 1932, in a modest village in Punjab—then under British India—Dr. Singh's life was a testament to the power of perseverance and education. Orphaned at an early age, he rose above his circumstances, excelling at the University of Cambridge and later earning a doctorate from Oxford. The boy from the village of Gah—now in Pakistan—grew to become a custodian of India's destiny, orchestrating reforms that would define generations.
His moment of reckoning came in 1991, when India’s economy was teetering on the brink of collapse. Foreign reserves had dwindled to a meager $1.2 billion, barely enough to cover two weeks of imports. Inflation soared to 13%, and the rupee was in free fall. It was under such dire circumstances that Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao summoned Dr. Singh to serve as Finance Minister. “No power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come,” Dr. Singh proclaimed in his budget speech, echoing Victor Hugo. And so began the liberalization of India’s economy.
Dr. Singh dismantled the License Raj, a labyrinth of bureaucratic controls that had strangled entrepreneurship for decades. He slashed import tariffs, devalued the rupee, and opened India to foreign investments. The results were swift and staggering. By the end of the decade, India’s GDP growth rate had surged to over 6%, foreign reserves climbed steadily, and a new era of prosperity dawned. Software exports, which were a paltry $150 million in 1991, ballooned to $9 billion by 2000, laying the foundation for India’s IT boom.
His tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 was no less transformative. The introduction of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act provided lifelines to millions of rural households, while the Right to Information Act empowered citizens like never before. The nuclear deal with the United States, achieved despite fierce political opposition, marked India’s arrival as a responsible global power. During his tenure, India's GDP nearly quadrupled from $617 billion in 2004 to $2.3 trillion in 2014.
Yet, Dr. Singh’s greatness was not merely in what he did, but how he did it. His hallmark was humility, his leadership devoid of theatrics. He rarely raised his voice but always elevated the discourse. “History will be kinder to me than my contemporaries,” he once remarked, and indeed, history now stands as his most eloquent advocate.
His life serves as a masterclass in the art of quiet revolution. In an era dominated by bluster, Dr. Singh demonstrated that substance could triumph over spectacle. He leaves behind not just an economy transformed, but a legacy of integrity, intellect, and inspiration. His story is a reminder that visionaries often walk softly, but their footsteps reverberate for ages.
As we bid farewell to this extraordinary architect of modern India, let us remember that the truest monuments are not built of stone but of hope and opportunity. Rest in peace, Dr. Singh. Your ideas have indeed come, and they will continue to illuminate India’s path for generations to come.