China's Digital Citadel vs. India's Open Bazaar: A Tale of Protectionism, Giants, and Missed Opportunities
China's Digital Citadel vs. India's Open Bazaar: A Tale of Protectionism, Giants, and Missed Opportunities China’s "Great Firewall" engineered a digital fortress, birthing giants like Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent (BAT), which dominate a $2 trillion e-commerce market and 233 unicorns by 2025. Protectionism—IP blocks, data localization—shielded nascent firms from U.S. titans, fostering innovation and scale. India’s open internet, fueling 700 million users, invited Google and Amazon, stifling local contenders. With 0.7% GDP R&D versus China’s 2.4%, India’s $283 billion IT sector excels in services but lags in products. Trump’s 2025 tariffs and multipolarity expose vulnerabilities, urging India to hybridize China’s playbook—selective barriers, R&D surges—to forge its own tech empire . In the neon-lit sprawl of Bengaluru’s Electronic City, where coders weave digital dreams amid ancient temples, India’s $283 billion IT saga unfolds—a tale of meteoric rise...