Oxfam’s latest inequality report has placed India at the heart of a global debate on democracy and power. Released at the World Economic Forum, the report warns that political systems across the world are being reshaped by extreme wealth, with billionaires vastly overrepresented in positions of authority. Yet within this bleak assessment, India is highlighted as a rare exception. Oxfam praises India’s political reservations as a mechanism that actively counters elite domination by ensuring representation for economically disadvantaged and socially excluded communities. The report notes that quotas for SCs, STs, other marginalised groups and women have expanded access to power and strengthened democratic participation. According to Oxfam, these measures help translate political inclusion into real policy outcomes, particularly in redistributive governance. As global democracies wrestle with money-driven politics, India’s reservation framework is being cited as proof that institutional design still matters. In a world increasingly ruled by wealth, India’s model is being recognised as democracy done differently.