This may be the most operative summation of the mentality behind the Indian government. It assumes that China is very similar to India (it isn't) because of population sizes, but India has certain advantages so it should be in an even better position. India is a democracy (it is, but it's highly dysfunctional one), and democracy is the best form of government (it isn't). India is stronger because has a more diverse culture (it is more diverse, but that doesn't confer any advantages) and it inherited strong institutions from Britain (hah!). China doesn't have any allies (true, mostly), but India has friends everywhere (nope). And so on.
Honestly, I don't think it's impossible to reform India's military into a world class fighting force. They have a lot to spend, and there is a lot of political support to put more resources into the military. The main obstacle (other than the I will disease) is that creating prestigous sounding results is more important than making something effective. India doesn't face any existential threats, and this proves to be both a blessing and a curse. Obviously it's good to not have to worry about getting invaded, but it also means that there's no consequence for corruption or making promises that have no bearing on reality.
This reminds me of all those Future Combat Systems diagrams the US Army used to make. Are the Indians trying to reproduce the effectiveness of that program?
