Modern India
For many people India invokes images of the Raj, the Karma Sutra and children who talk like Kim. For others who visited in the 60's, 70' or 80's the image is still of 1950's styled cars and cows blocking the intersection with an unintentional sit down protest. Even Indian's who left in the 1950's for a life in the UK, Canada or the USA or those who left Uganda and Kenya in the 1970's have vision of their small town or rural image that has, in part, disappeared. I meet second generation Indians who could settle back in India because it is now modern enough and they are financially secure enough to ensure good standard of living. Their children are less keen as it is not modern enough!
The visible face of most cities is modern. Cars are newer, construction continues at a pace and consumers are able to get almost anything. Malls are springing up everywhere. Gurgaon is full of them and Ludhiana is buiding the biggest in the country. No more travelling with a suitcase full of Levi's for cousins, neices & nephews. Indeed, often, returning with a Benetton wardrobe is more likley.
We are all familiar with the India that has call centres and IT whizzkids. Is there anyone who has been through a SAP or similar installation that hasn't met an Indian Technical Integrator who did the troubleshooting? Computers are common and the small and shabby store will have computerised inventory and larger companies all want a glass fronted tower.
Some infrastructure development, such as Delhi's metro and the GT1 (Grand Trunk Road 1 out of Delhi) has happened but if compared to China it's barely a start. Sticking with transport: road speeds rarely get above 55kph and compliance with any road rules is patchy at best. The road surfaces are not suitable for any travel above 110kph, even in a brand new Honda. The trains are now profitable but track, signals, points and rolling stock are ancient. (see our Travel in India page) Replacement will take a long time. New roads just are not being built quickly enough and airport development even slower. Indira Gandhi International (IGI) in Delhi, has stopped the requirement to buy back ones passport and proceedures are much quicker but the facilities are very poor - unless you are in the VIP lounge.
Power still requires load shedding. Not enough new stations are coming on line and there is controversy where they are (see Current Topics-Arundhati Roy) with the hydro-electric project in Narmada Dam project flooding vast areas, displacing half a million people and the Enron initiated Dhabol station that is still not on line. None of the new malls in Gurgaon have mains power. All run on diesel generators - not enviromentally friendly or cheap. The wealthy can all afford a generator and battery based UPS systems but the poor cannot.
Socially, pre 1991, the media was very tame. There was even a scandal when a female model was used for a condom advert. Now publications such as Femina have the same flesh area as their western counterparts - just lacking the nipple count. Sex is discussed openly and the requirement of virginity is no-more - at least amongst the wealthier, more educated strata of society or for sons.
In more rural areas, there are people that can afford satellite dishes and cable. They can see the modern TV, Hollywood and Bollywood output. It is watched but not approved of. The lure of the big city is strong but the dual speed economy is not just split between rural and urban areas. India has 19% of it's population below the poverty line. With a population of 1.1Bn this is more than the whole of sub-saharan Africa. With all the development the lack of modern attitudes is expressed in ways which seem odd to me as an outsider. A new builing will look fantastic an be air-conditioned marble in side but rubbish or the left overs from construction will be dumped just outside the boundary. In Gurgaon, for instance, getting to a mall can mean crossing a rutted dirt track and into a well kept and guarded forecourt.
Handouts will not help, India must trade and compete it's way and bring as many of it's population along as possible. To this end, many companies have invested in machine tools and equipment and continue to do so. The quality of goods produced is high and cost remain relatively low and the market is continually opening to foreign investment. Growth is projected until 2030 at least - it will be an interesting time.