A worker sweeps the road as the South Block of the Central Secretariat buildings, right, and the North Block, left, stand in New Delhi, India. (Photographer: T. Narayan/Bloomberg)
(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- India was until recently the fastest-growing major economy in the world, clocking annual rates of 7% or more and sparking predictions that it would soon overtake the likes of the U.K. and Germany.