10 things of Modern India that I am proud of

I was thinking of India and the developing world, and what examples India has set in 65 years of its existence as an Independent Nation. Here are the things that come to my mind, and here I put myself as a tourist from Africa, let me name him Akiba, who would be admiring India when he sees these , can I call them – Modern Marvels of India.

1) Delhi Metro- After a lot of thinking, my vote goes to Delhi Metro. It is efficient, affordable, clean, secure, swanky, inclusive… my list is long and the way it was built, well within time limits, budget and without significant accidents is admirable. Akiba wishes Nigeria has a similar metro. E. Sreedharan will be among the top 10 men in independent India who have built this nation.

2) Technopark, Trivandrum- From Delhi, we jump to the largest and oldest IT park in the country- Technopark in Trivandrum. Technopark, here, is a symbol of the IT revolution in India, which has created lakhs of jobs for the Indian youth and is the big engine in driving the Indian Economy, also the source of pride for our country, and jealousy among the westerners. There are many such parks in India, but the pioneer among them was Technopark and so it is placed here.

3) Inorbit Mall, Mumbai- Here comes the financial capital, not far behind. Malls have changed the way we shop. Reebok, Levis, UCB, Gucci which were never heard of 10 years back are now commoner than Raymond or Bombay Dyeing, courtesy these malls and the increased purchasing power of Indian Upper Middle Class.There are malls larger than Inorbit, but this one truly comes first being more well-known than the newbies.

4) Narayan Hrudayalaya, Bangalore-

A dream to provide the best healthcare to everyone irrespective of their capacity to pay gave birth to this idea which has now spread across the globe. ‘Caring with Compassion’- This chain provides super-specialty health-care to not  only Indians but to the underprivileged people from 73 countries. Whatever I say will fall short of this marvel, which, in my heart, holds the premier position among all. The link here tells more- http://www.narayanahospitals.com/brief.html

5) Indian Railways- The love of my life – Indian Railways. Run by the government, truly an example of an enterprise ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’ . Though we still lack high-speed trains, our stations stink, trains run late and waiting lists never end, Indian Railways make me feel proud, for many reasons. Indian rail network is extensive, we have the most luxurious tourist trains, our fares are the least and even for the poorest of the poor, going home once in a while is not very difficult. Though there are many miles to go, still the Indian Railways have stood the test of time and kept the connection with people intact, unlike its airborne sibling- Air India.

6) Indian Institutes of Technology, India- IITs are a product of socialist dreams of Pt. Nehru and have churned out the best engineers of the country. Getting here is a dream come true, more for the parents than the students, as an admission assures them of a settled career for their child. IITs have attracted the best brains in the country, also being the incubators of reserch that is badly needed in the country. But there is an urgent need of more funds and less interference, not the other way round- hope somebody forwards this to the HRD ministry.

7) The IIMs and ISB- Though management education in India is not at par with that of the west, still, the brain that comes to IIMs is the best in this world. Brand IIM is valued worldwide. Innovations in teaching and learning, incubation of entrepreneurship, skill development and leadership skills bring out good business administrators, who take the first flight to US after getting out of their alma-mater. ISB Hyderabad was established by the corporate world, to involve themselves in mentoring the business leaders of future and is doing a great job.

8) Spirituality and its modern methods- India is also known for its wisdom, its mysticism, its religion and its spirituality. There must be something about this land that it is the birthplace of religions and the cradle for faiths which came from elsewhere and flourished here. In modern times, the ways to interpret God/ nature/ almighty/ consciousness/ self  have changed or evolved or been rediscovered. Though the ritualism still survives in parallel, the quest for knowing oneself is the new ‘trend’, with a big fan following. Osho must be smiling. Spirituality, Yoga and Ayurveda are the gifts from India to the world, all of these gaining wider popularity abroad than in their motherland.

9) The Golden Quadrilateral, East-West and North-South Corridors- Linking the extremes of India, and the metros with better roads was much-needed, not for mere symbolism, but to keep the country going ahead. Infrastructure is the engine of growth and these roads have given Indians faster and more comfortable travel by road. The negative point is that any good road in India is a toll road and the rates are high.

10) The Spirit of India- Be it any era in the history, India has been noted to embrace everyone who came to her. We are the most diverse nation on earth. We speak hundreds of languages, live in every imaginable terrain, practice every religion that exists on earth, are spread out over all the countries on the globe, eat varied food that nature has to offer but still call ourselves by one name –INDIANS. India is changing, faster than the world around her. In the times to come, we will be basking in the glory that we lost 3 centuries back; the only thing which each one of us has to realize is- We are strong as one, as Indians. No other identity precedes this. The future is ours, to be built in the present and we are on the right track.

I am eagerly waiting for additions in this list, and to know what all of you feel. This particular post is closer to me than all the previous ones.

Jai Hind.