- small size
- decentralized/local government structure
- limited geopolitical influence
- high level of education of the population
- history/culture of democracy
Large, powerful states with a lesser educated population will inevitably drift towards totalitarianism over time. This implies the use of various means of population control, with total surveillance being first and foremost.
How about India?
Don't treat states or societies as people, they are not people rather they are made of people. Totalitarianism isn't the outcome of a system it rather the outcome of the people oppress and the cowards who do nothing to stop it.
Sure, at the National political level, it's a democracy.
But there are several issue that allow citizens of some lesser democratic states enjoys more freedom in some cases... (it's very un-even though)
Religious rights, women's rights... Or the amount of power that some have at the local level (cast issues, landowners, etc..).