What hits you first when you hit India?

Snake charmers?

Elephants for transport?

Beggars everywhere?

Software programmers at the entry point of airport?

A lot is in our imagination based on what and where we read about India. This has been my favourite question to every foreigner when they come to India (especially the first timers).

In 7 out of 10 answers I get a response that invariable means

TOO MANY HUMANS

I have had comments like

- I never knew that so many people can work at an airport

- I have never seen so many heads together

- humans, humans and humans all around

In 2 out of 10 I have a response that invariably means

- You guys are too good at English speaking

What is your first hit on hitting India?

Comments

Unsaid speaks louder than words

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New addiction

The Golden Quadrilateral and more roads

Over the last couple of weeks I had a chance to travel by road in five north Indian states. What a pleasure? The road network is becoming really fantastic. I started on National Highway 8 and then on to NH 1, 21, 22, 70,72 and 88 apart from many state highways. It is not the roads only that impressed me but also the new flourishing enterprises it has generated alongwith is the key to the trip. Many a voillages and towns that were cut off from nearby larger places are now well connected. Movement of people and goods is leading to a greater economic involvement and is helping in the inclusive growth mantra. I was also witness to an amazing incident - towns of Rahon and Samrala are barely tens of kilometers apart but could take upto 5 hours by road a few years ago and now less than half an hour. I could see a stretch limousine (a genuine one and on top of it a Lexus) in a small village wedding in the prosperous "Doaba" region of Punjab. On being generously invited (despite being...

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