I had missed news about the inauguration of terminal T3 in Delhi in July 2010. My previous visit to India being in February 2010, I got to see it only last night (rather, 2:15 am today). 

Visiting India through the Delhi airport had hitherto been a deep mental shock. It demoralised you instantly. It summarised the incompetence of the socialist corrupt rascals who ruled India. Nothing worked. The toilets were filthy beyond any normal human imagination. The incompetence (and earlier, before the green channel was liberalised, the corruption) of the customs department added to the nightmare, with exhausted passengers forced to wait for over one hour in long tedious lines in a stuffy, unwelcoming atmosphere. 

One and a half years old now, T3 is developing a few signs of age. I'm also informed it has developed a few leaks. But overall, the impression last night on entering India was that India has finally managed to build a major infrastructure that is at least comparable to many airports across the world. Not better than any of them, perhaps, but comparable. That's a mammoth achievement for India: for virtually none of its outputs over the past 60 years has been even comparable to what other nations routinely do.

The secret of how this marvel has been built? Well, it is no secret at all, merely a confirmation (albeit imperfect) of everything I've been writing about and saying for 14 years: namely, that privatisation works. LET THE CITIZEN FREE. It is not a very good example because it is still partly owned by the Government of India. But it is close enough, being owned thus: 

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is a consortium of the GMR Group (50.1%), Fraport AG (10%) and Malaysia Airports (10%),^[19] India Development Fund (3.9%)^[19] and the Airports Authority of India retains a 26% stake.^[20] 

I'm not aware of details of the underlying commercial model, but this much I can say that I felt totally hopeless about India after alighting at the unbelievably shoddy international airport in Kolkata in 2010 followed by a flight to Jorhat from the SUPER-SHODDY "brand new" domestic airport owned and built by the government. But today I felt significantly hopeful about the prospects for India. This airport is such a moral boost: such a breath of fresh air after six decades of SHODDY INDIA.

The simple lesson from this can be summarised thus: Let the government NEVER OWN anything, but regulate the owners of various properties.

It is not necessary under any circumstance for a government to own an airport, a school, a university, a train, or a bus. Not even an armoured tank.

A government is NOT and should not be a manager of public assets, but a REGULATOR of public and private assets. In such capacity it should tightly (not excessively) regulate airports, schools, universities, and all other forms of property. But never should it own and manage anything of significance. Let the people own everything.

That, in a nutshell, is the entire focus of FTI and of my work: to transform THE ENTIRE INDIA the way the shoddy Delhi airport of old has now been transformed. 

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[Let me add that very little has changed in India over the past few decades at the grassroots level. I spent a good three hours exploring the nearby markets in Palam Vihar (including the modern Ansals Plaza) today, and while some change is palpable, the common man has not experienced significant change. The SAME old shoddy rundown shops that were found in the Vyapaar Kendra of Palam Vihar in 1992 are STILL there. Nothing has changed. Not even the ancient foot-powered sewing machines, or the "masterji" tailor.  Only the prices are higher. And yes, there are mobile phone shops. And finally, some high quality modern stationery is becoming available.]

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