What will the world be like in 2030 — or even in 2050? Who will be the main players? Will the present reshuffle result in the definitive decline of the West, or simply in an extension of the ‘club of prosperity’?
These are the questions that this book answers, arguing that the planet’s three demographic and economic giants — China, India and Africa — will initiate the major shakeups that loom ahead. Although Africa’s economic take-off is more recent, the continent is destined to play a crucial role: both China and India are increasingly looking to Africa as a reservoir of natural resources and as a vast new market. In the process, Africa is being carried along in the wake of the economic growth of the other two giants.
Reviewing the various facets of current globalisation — demography and migration, technological innovation, mastery of natural resources and of raw materials — Joseph Boillot and Stanislas Dembiski try to evaluate the risks and opportunities that will result from such a transformation. They analyse the economic and cultural role of worldwide diasporas; the impact of the recent phenomenon of ‘reverse brain drain’, when migrants return to their countries of origin; the spread of quality low-cost products, often conceived in India; frugal innovations and a new business model that will be more economic for the planet and may even tempt the rich nations.


In the world that is now taking shape, changes will occur more rapidly and they will be more substantial than during Europe’s Industrial Revolution. In the new world Europe will have to assert its political vision — or be marginalised. While China appears to be taking the lead in the present frenzied race, the authors show that it is also heading toward stabilisation, while India and Africa are expected to reach their full potential in the coming decades.

• A fascinating book of economic forecast.
• Clear explanations amply illustrated with graphs, tables and examples.
• The resurgence of Africa, a subject previously evoked in Le Temps de l’Afrique.
• A prospective essay, this well documented book offers a convincing vision of the world that lies ahead, thanks to a wealth of examples, especially regarding research and innovation.
• This is the first book to tackle China, India and Africa from this angle.

Joseph Boillot is a social science professor; the cofounder of the Euro-India Economic & Business Group (EIEBG), a network supporting initiatives that promote projects between India and Europe; and an adviser on emerging areas for the Centre for Prospective Studies and International Information (CEPII). He is the author or co-author of some twenty books, including Chine Hong Kong Taïwan, une nouvelle géographie économique de l’Asie (2001), L’Economie de l’Inde (La Découverte, 2006) and KAL, un abécédaire de l’Inde moderne (Buchet-Chastel, 2011).
Stanislas Dembiski is a journalist specialising in economics and finance. He has reported on emerging markets for Reuters and was formerly editor-in-chief of a television programme on economic affairs for French cable TV.