“Despite political opportunism, religious dogma and huge economic disparities, India provides a rare example of diversity, freedom and democratic pluralism which is puzzling to the global community,” Dr Tharoor said here on Friday.

Dr Tharoor who was delivering his address at the international summit of The Indus Entrepreneur (TiE), said that India boasts of a large number of rich men no Asian nations can match.

“Yet, there are 260 million people living below the poverty line, each earning around Rs 360 per month. The rate of school dropouts after Class VIII is about 40 per cent and the rate of unemployment has been surging,” he pointed out.

Citing an instance of political opportunism that has still been vitiating India’s political atmosphere, he said: “When you cast your vote, you vote on castes. Politics is a dispensable distraction.” “And the paradox is,” he continued, “and you have to agree, India is a world power in the making.” One of principal barometers of this colossal change, according to the former UN Under Secretary, is the cellphone revolution.

“And the proof of it is in the much-touted photograph of a naked sadhu speaking in a mobile,” Dr Tharoor said amidst thundering applause from of the audience. He added that 8.3 lakh cellphones were sold in a single month which is so far, a record.

However, he took pains to explain that while the debate on whether India would pursue globalisation regardless of the results, is welcome, the government would do well to remember that the more the inequalities are cured, the better for the country.

“Often people say everything is going wrong. I would say, something might just go right and that’s India, our own country," Dr Tharoor said.