I think a technocratic single-party system (however terrible for liberty) would have never worked in India. The wounds of a colonial past followed by region-specific societal differences would be just to vast to overcome with an "enlightened" bureaucracy trying to force homogeneity down people's throats.
I suspect China had similar problems but the cultural revolution appears to have largely effaced the echoes of the past through horrible means.
India can still learn a lot from Chinese-style governance - it seems effective at dealing with local issues efficiently, especially in urban areas. India's urban regions suffer are chronically starved of funds and infrastructure because of lack of executive powers for local representatives.
I suspect China had similar problems but the cultural revolution appears to have largely effaced the echoes of the past through horrible means.
India can still learn a lot from Chinese-style governance - it seems effective at dealing with local issues efficiently, especially in urban areas. India's urban regions suffer are chronically starved of funds and infrastructure because of lack of executive powers for local representatives.