I remember thinking about this too but there is a higher level of inequality in India which appears to be hampering progress. > Inequality using the Gini index

I remember thinking about this too but there is a higher level of inequality in India which appears to be hampering progress. > Inequality using the Gini index is 24% higher in India than in China according to income, but 9% higher in China than in India according to consumption. Something similar is found if we compare urban and rural areas across countries https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043951X20300602#:~:text=Inequality%20using%20the%20Gini%20index,and%20rural%20areas%20across%20countries https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043951X2.... Edit: The reason I mention this is due to access to higher level of education can be correlated to the income inequalities in general. Add to that China's massive social services and pushes for science related education they definitely are showing some advantages.