Washington: India will emerge as an unparalleled regional and economic power by the year 2015 and its growth along with China and Russia may form a "de facto geo-strategic alliance" to counterbalance US and Western influence, a US National Intelligence Council projection for 2015 has said.

India's size of its population – 1.2 billion by 2015 – and its technologically driven economic growth virtually dictate that India will be a rising regional power, it said.

The report also points out that the international community will have to deal with the military, political and economic dimensions of the rise of China and India and the continued decline of Russia.

There is a possibility that China, India and Russia may form "a de facto geo-strategic alliance in an attempt to counterbalance US and Western influence," the 59-page unclassified document has claimed.

The future being contemplated by intelligence officials is part of a long-ranging forecasting endeavour compiled in the National Intelligence Council 2015 Project, which seeks to come up with a range of scenarios the world could face then.

The council is made up of senior analysts, who advise director of Central Intelligence George J Tenet. The study was undertaken in consultation with a wide range of think tanks and non-official experts.

Among developing countries, India will remain in the forefront in developing information technology, led by a growing class of high-tech workers and entrepreneurs, the report concedes.

"India's relatively strong educational system, democracy and English language skills position it well to take advantage of gains related to information technology," the projections reveal.

India, nevertheless, faces enormous challenges in spreading the benefits of growth to hundreds of millions of impoverished, often illiterate citizens, particularly in the Northern States.

"India will strengthen its role as a regional power, but many uncertainties about the effects of global trends on its society cast doubts on how far India will go. India faces growing extremes between wealth and poverty, a mixed picture on natural resources, and problems with internal governance," it warned.

PTI