Manmohan Singh assumed charge as the Prime Minister when the Indian economy was beginning to roar. The years between 2004 and 2008 was the golden period when India became the second fastest growing economy after China. There was massive investment in capacity expansion across industries from power to steel to infrastructure. The wealth of the citizens, too, witnessed sharp improvement. The global financial crisis, slowdown in China and the series of scams impacted the later part of the second term. But the base for becoming an economic superpower was laid during his two terms.