Five decades after Independence, the story of India can be told with an unceasing invocation of one word-If-the shorthand for a saga of missed opportunities. It is not that India lacks achievements-a vibrant democracy, a large reservoir of skilled manpower, a self-confident middle class at the cutting edge of new technology and, above all, a huge and growing domestic market. It is just that these achievements are not commensurate with India's acknowledged potential. The country faces an unacceptable performance-potential gap.