I think I should begin my blog with an entry on India. I was born in India; lived here for the first 10 years of my life and have been here for the last 3 years.
India Inc. is growing daily. The Sensex numbers are sky rocketing; it is approaching 17k - an astronomical number. The number of billionaires in India is increasing annually. A campain titled India@60 was launched in NYC to promote India. Indian companies are buying out companies in Europe. The growth isn't just in the economy. Indian authors are winning Booker Prize or being short listed for it. An Indian actress' name (Tabu) is being thrown around in Oscar rumors. Film City in Hyderbad is used by foreign film industry. Indian music is fused with western. India is no longer sitting on the benches and watching it is a main player in the game.
It has several strenghts. A well functioning democracy. A secular state that has bouts of fundamentalism. A huge middle class that is very fluent in English.
However it is sad to say that there is a huge portion of India that is still not reaping the benefits of these tremendous growth. A good number of the 600 thousand villages are still without electricity or access to roads. More than 80% live on less than one dollar a day. Casteism is prevalent in most rural areas.
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