Your right, china is better suited to be part of the western economic model. china wishes to emulate japan and germany. India wishes to remain sovereign. The goals are different
India is not traditionaly a willing exporter, very little reasons/products exist for it be a large importer with the exception of energy or gold(for religious reasons).
Thorium reactors take time when under sanctions.
The Indian government prefers waiting for indiginous trade models to emerge. Ever see a bunch of garbage on a new road? Economic models, like currency models, are deceptive. There is a reason why practically the entire planet, including the chinese, use Indian mathematical models and number systems instead of roman numerals or the chinese equivalent.
It is not Indian investment/money tied up with the future of the western economy. Like the citizens of America who are forced to insure the mistakes of their wealthy on wall street, so to is Beijing forced to insure the lending of credit to its customers in perpetuity.
Chinas future was decided the minute it started building huge ports and cargo ships without holding any territorial rights outside of China.
India is free and poor. Not so long ago the europeans looked down their collective noses at the free and poor americans.
Actually, the US has been richer than Europe on a per capita basis for pretty much its entire existence. This was why hordes of Europeans settled in America. The European elite's contempt had to do with the US's non-aristocratic (and in many cases, ex-convict) bloodlines and to some extent, the view that this country had money while lacking taste. The European hoi polloi shared none of this contempt, which was why so many headed for these shores.