From the Editor: January 4, 2015

As we come to the close of 2014, there are enormous expectations building up about what the New Year will bring. The new government led by Narendra Modi has been in office for just over six months, and it has certainly made the right noises about many issues. It was voted to power because it promised change from the lethargy and pessimism that had come to characterise the last few years of the Manmohan Singh-led government.

There was a general feeling that things needed to move forward and decisive action had to be taken in a host of areas, if India was to take its rightful place in the world. Most people are hoping that they will see the decisive action in 2015, now that the government has settled down, and has had time to study the problems that are holding India back.

When Modi was campaigning for the general elections, one of the things that both his critics and supporters agreed on was that he was an excellent administrator and, in general, had great execution strengths. The unsaid implication was that he was perhaps not as great in providing a grand vision or coming up with breakthrough ideas.

Since coming to power, the prime minister has shown that he is not afraid to think of big ideas - witness his Make in India programme. But there are a number of other areas where equally big ideas and radical thinking is needed. The entire education system needs to be overhauled - not just tinkered with - if we want to ensure that the youth who will join the workplace in the next 20 years are actually employable in any industry.

The Make in India programme will be a non-starter unless serious thought is given to quality improvement and making it the cornerstone of all our manufacturing and service initiatives. Health care needs to be thoroughly revamped if our workers are to remain productive. Urbanisation needs some serious rethinking if we want to avoid a few big cities becoming nightmares. And agriculture needs fresh ideas to break out of the straightjacket it finds itself in.

Of course, big ideas and new thinking are not the only things necessary to correct the wrongs of the past. Detailing, implementation and execution of those ideas will be the key difference between success and failure.

In the past, many of the country's leaders have stumbled because they could not bridge the gap between good intentions and actual action on the ground. This prime minister, probably more than any of his predecessors, has a real chance to turn things around. He has won a historic mandate, he has shown his ability to think out of the box, and most important, he has a well-deserved reputation for efficient administration. That is why all eyes will be on his decisions and actions in 2015.

Here's hoping that 2015 will be the year everyone expects it to be. And wishing all our readers a very Happy New Year.