* Left Boat (labeled "INDIA"): This boat is a traditional, larger wooden boat, overloaded with a large number of people. Many people are rowing, and some are just passengers. The Indian flag is flying at the back. This visually represents India's large population.
* Right Boat (labeled "JAPAN"): This boat is a smaller, more modern, motorized boat with a few people in it. There's a man steering, and a few women and children are passengers. The Japanese flag is flying at the back. This visually represents Japan's smaller population.
Both boats have a label indicating "4 Trillion USD" above them, implying that both countries have the same (or similar) GDP. The central message of the cartoon, "Same GDP, different load," suggests that even with similar economic output, the impact on individual citizens and the overall efficiency of the economy can be vastly different due to population size. India, with its massive population, appears to be struggling to move forward despite having the same GDP as Japan, which seems to be moving effortlessly with its smaller population.