English Learning Content: India’s Competitiveness Ranking

Dialogue

Current Situation

India has shown remarkable progress in various global competitiveness indices in recent years. For instance, in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, India has consistently improved its position, often moving up several places. This enhanced competitiveness is primarily driven by several factors:

• Economic Performance: A robust economic growth, strong domestic market, and resilience in challenging global conditions.
• Government Efficiency: Reforms in business legislation, digital public infrastructure, ease of doing business, and improved public finance.
• Business Efficiency: Increased productivity, robust financial markets, innovation in startups, and a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Infrastructure: Significant investments in physical infrastructure like roads, railways, and ports, alongside rapid advancements in digital infrastructure.

While challenges remain in areas such as environmental performance and certain aspects of education, India’s overall trajectory reflects a nation effectively leveraging its demographic dividend, digital transformation, and reform agenda to enhance its global economic standing.

Key Phrases

• Stumble upon: To find something unexpectedly.

  I stumbled upon an old photo album while cleaning the attic.

• Spill it!: An informal way to ask someone to tell you something immediately.

  You look like you have something exciting to tell me, come on, spill it!

• Making huge strides: To make great progress or improvements.

  The company is making huge strides in renewable energy research.

• Driving this (surge/progress): What is causing or powering this development or increase.

  New technology is driving this surge in productivity.

• Have the right-of-way: The legal right to proceed before other traffic or people.

  Pedestrians usually have the right-of-way in crosswalks.

• Booming (sector/economy): Experiencing a period of rapid growth and success.

  The housing market is booming right now, with prices going up every month.

• Leveling up across the board: Improving or advancing significantly in all aspects or areas.

  The new training program is helping employees level up across the board.

• Economic powerhouse in the making: A country or entity that is becoming a very strong and influential economic force.

  With its vast resources, the country is seen as an economic powerhouse in the making.

• Touché: (French origin, pronounced too-shay) Used as an acknowledgment of a clever or effective point made by another person in an argument or discussion.

  “You might be right, I never thought of it that way. Touché.”

Grammar Points

Let’s look at some grammar points from the dialogue:

• Present Perfect Simple (e.g., “I just stumbled upon”, “They’ve climbed”)

  Used to describe actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past but have a connection to the present, or actions that began in the past and continue to the present. Often used with “just”, “already”, “yet”, “ever”, “never”, or when talking about recent news.

  She has visited India twice. (Experience)

  The government has invested heavily in infrastructure. (Recent action with present result)

• Modal Verbs (e.g., “might be building”, “should start”)

  Modal verbs (like *can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would*) are used to express ability, possibility, permission, advice, or obligation.

  • Might: Expresses possibility (less certain than “may”).

    He might come to the party, but he’s not sure yet.

  • Should: Expresses advice or recommendation.

    You should try this new restaurant.

• Phrasal Verbs (e.g., “stumble upon”, “pushing them up”, “leveling up”)

  Combinations of a verb and a preposition or adverb (or both) that form a new meaning. Their meaning is often not obvious from the individual words.

  • Stumble upon: Discover by chance.
  • Push up: Increase, cause to rise.
  • Level up: Improve one’s position or skill.

Practice Exercises