Economist Raj Krishna coined the term “Hindu rate of growth”—a joke so bitter it stuck. Only those expecting several cycles of reincarnation, he suggested, would tolerate such progress.
This was in 1978. The reforms of 1991 set India on a different trajectory, and while not perfect, given the size of the body to move (1+B people!), and that this has been largely democratic, I would say it is inspiring. This article is a very approachable description of this makeover.