History of the Republic of India economists, military analysts and think tanks expect India to become a superpower in the near future. Independent India's first years were marked with turbulent events – a massive exchange of population with Pakistan, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 and the integration of over 500 princely states to form a united nation. Credit for the political integration of India is largely attributed to Vallabhbhai Patel (deputy Prime Minister of India at the time), who post-independence and before the death of Mahatma Gandhi teamed up with Jawaharlal Nehru and the Mahatma to ensure that the constitution of independent India would be secular.
Prime Minister of India That same year "The Economist" reported that, on a purchasing power parity basis, the prime minister received an equivalent of $4106 per year. As a percentage of the country's per-capita GDP (gross domestic product), this is the lowest of all countries "The Economist" surveyed. The 7, Lok Kalyan Marg—previously called the 7, Race Course Road—in New Delhi, serves as the official place of residence for the Prime Minister of India. For ground travel, the prime minister uses a highly modified, armoured version of a Range Rover, while for air travel, Boeing 777-300ERs—designated by the call sign Air India One (AI-1