"It's really not surprising to such a top-heavy state being wary of something which seems like it can't be as easily controlled top-down" I don't disagree with

"It's really not surprising to such a top-heavy state being wary of something which seems like it can't be as easily controlled top-down" I don't disagree with your analysis but I think the conclusion is debatable. The problem isn't India is top-heavy, China is too. The difference is that China is highly centralized. It's been that way since the Qin dynasty. The Qin dynasty standardized everything from weights, measures, and even the language itself. The example you cited is a problem of standardization. If all the paper work is the same, the process should be pretty simple and efficient. That said, India is a VERY diverse country and seems very tolerant of differences. Part of this may be because India was not historically centralized nor homogenized. Just as a personal opinion, it would be a shame for India to lose its cultural diversity in its pursue of growth and efficiency. Once you lose the culture, it's really, really hard to bring back.