印度不俗的发展绩效常被用来与中国的改革成就作比较, 并被认为是一种在发展特征、发展结构、发展制度等方面优于中国的“强潜力”发展模式。事实上, 通过对印度发展模式的历史、理论与实证经验的考察可以看出, 印度先于经济自由建立起来的民主制度, 在转轨过程中遭遇了经济增长与福利分配的尖锐冲突。换句话说, 在国家治理能力没有得到有效提升之前, 印度的政治民主难以为其经济增长提供应有的动力与效力。考察印度模式之于中国的意义在于: 慎思如何在实践中有效协调经济发展与政治民主的关系, 提升国家的治理能力, 并进一步在理论上探索、发展与完善“中国模式”。

In 1991 India started to carry out market - oriented reforms after its explorations lasting half a century.Its remarkable economic achievements have been regarded as an unusual phenomenon which consists of a series of development institutions and structures. To some extent India's road is called the Indian model that is deemed to be better and more potential than the Chinese model. Owing to its political democracy established before its economic freedom, India was confronted with a sharp conflict between economic growth and allocation of social welfare in transition, which weakened effectiveness of India's democracy in practice. When its ability to govern the state did not have an effective elevation, India's political democracy could not provide an effective motive force for economic growth. Understanding India's lessons and experiences is meaningful for us to modify and perfect the Chinese model.