Back to the OP, it could probably be done with a friendlier Soviet Union and a China that doesn't go communist and follows along at India's rate of development, which would have them both quite close if not "full" democracies. To be honest, I don't know enough about China to know how likely a scenario that is, though I get the impression Taiwan is a fairly decent democracy today, implying that the nationalists had it in them to get there.
A nicer, people's USSR, especially if it doesn't look super scary to the West, will indirectly help too, as the U.S. will have less (though probably still some) interest in propping up dictators in the name of freedom.
Heck, while I'm at it, if there is less Cold War... decolonization just might go smoother and Africa might benefit considerably... or decolonization doesn't happen and that puts France, Great Britain, etc on this TL's list of evil oppressors
A nicer, people's USSR, especially if it doesn't look super scary to the West, will indirectly help too, as the U.S. will have less (though probably still some) interest in propping up dictators in the name of freedom.
Heck, while I'm at it, if there is less Cold War... decolonization just might go smoother and Africa might benefit considerably... or decolonization doesn't happen and that puts France, Great Britain, etc on this TL's list of evil oppressors