January 16, 2026
In his Hindustan Times column, OHT’s Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan asks a question that goes beyond economic growth: “Are Indians truly flourishing?” Drawing on ancient ideas such as Aristotle’s eudaimonia and Indian traditions such as dharma –a core idea in Indian philosophy that means living in alignment with what is right, ethical, and true – he argues that a good life rests on purpose, character, health, relationships, and material security.
He highlights insights from the Global Flourishing Study by Harvard and Baylor University, which defines flourishing as a multidimensional state of well-being. While India’s results align with global trends in some areas, one finding stands out- unlike in most countries, older adults in India report declining confidence in their moral purpose and ability to promote good.
Dr. Laxminarayan suggests that this may reflect the strain of rapid social and economic change. Drawing lessons from countries such as China, Brazil, and Russia, he warns that when mental health, social cohesion, and trust lag gross domestic product (GDP) growth becomes fragile. True development, he argues, requires strengthening the inner foundations of well-being alongside economic progress.
He writes, “If we can combine our rich cultural reservoirs of meaning with the institutional foundations that sustain character and health, India will not only grow economically, it will grow stronger, more humane, and more capable of realizing the promise of Viksit Bharat (the goal to transform India into a developed nation) for its 1.4 billion people.”
Read it here.
