India - A land of Diversity !

1. India - A land of Diversity ! AIESEC Delhi IIT

2. Can you locate India ?

3. India - Its People • Indians form one-sixth of all humanity. • India is also the largest democracy in the world.

4. India • India is the 7th largest country in the world • India is also the largest peninsula, bordered on three sides by the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean

5. India ... • India manages to sideswipe everyone with its size, clamor and diversity. • If you enjoy delving into convoluted cosmologies, thrive on sensual overload, and have a firm grasp of the absurd, then India is one of the most intricate and rewarding dramas unfolding on earth.

6. Beautiful by nature The majestic Himalayas to the north,

8. A few sights ...

10. The beautiful Beaches & Temples in the south

13. The dense tea gardens & landscapes in the north-east

14. The very rich Ganges river basin,

15. The Thar desert in the west,

16. And lots of mother nature in between ...

17. Images ... Apsara & Lion - a sculpture in Khajuraho Qutab Minar

18. More .. Houseboats in Kashmir Trekkers in the Himalayas

19. A land of Spirituality • India has no official religion : Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains & lots others abound here. • Languages ? 18 officially recognized languages. A total of 1652 different languages are spoken !!!

20. India’s People • Curious, Extremely Friendly, emotional & very colorful !

21. But India is not only about people… its also about Wildlife ...

22. India has a number of Wildlife sanctuaries from Kaziranga in the south to Corbett in the north …over 350 in total

23. India - Industrial Might • Since Independence, India’s aim has been to become self reliant in every field • India produces enough Iron, Steel, bauxite, Manganese, Mica, Salt, Coal not only for its own use but even for export • The Indian economy has been growing @ 7% per year for the past 5 years

24. Some facts ... • India is the 5th largest economy in the world • Large, diversified and well distributed manufacturing capability • Private sector accounts for 75% of GDP. • Commercial banking network of over 63,000 branches, supported by national and state level financial institutions. • 22 stock exchanges and over 9,000 listed companies.

25. Why India is growing fast .. • R&D, infrastructure and technical and marketing services are well developed. • Rich mineral base and an abundance of other natural resources. • Stable democratic environment since 1947. • Independent multi-tier judicial system.

26. Why India is growing fast .. • Skilled manpower. • English as the preferred language for business. • Positive foreign investment policies. • Freedom of access, investment, location choice of technology, import and export.

27. India has the world’s heaviest dam - Bhakra Nangal & also the world’s longest dam at 4.8 kilometers - Hirakud dam • India has one of the largest & most closely knit canal systems for irrigation in the world

28. Agriculture • Gone are the days when Indians had to suffer because of famine .. • Indian agricultural production levels are at a record high & there is enough for every person ...

29. Foodgrain production touched a record level last year at 200 million tons !!!

30. Railways • ‘Indian Railways’ is the largest employer in the world with over 1,600,000 employees • It is also one of the largest railway networks in the world in terms of volume & size

31. Government • India follows a democratic setup • It is the largest democracy where over 450 million voters exercise their power to vote

32. Industry health • The Bombay Stock Exchange was the highest gainer in Asia during the last quarter - 38% … it is now past the 5000 mark • The Indian passenger car market is growing at a whopping rate - over 40% per year

33. Industry Health... • Foreign Exchange reserves with India now are at a record high - over $30 billion

34. Indian Software • Indian Software firms exported $3 billion worth last year. • The Industry is growing @ 70% per year and soon will be India’s highest foreign exchange earner

35. OtherWise • But India is not only about growth .. It is also about intellectual might ...

36. IND-intellect • Over the years Indians have won Nobel prizes and achieved results that have vastly improved the world • Indians have won Oscars, Grammies, the Booker prize and lots others...

37. More recently ... • More recently, an Indian Scientist developed the Pentium chip while at Intel • Another guy, Sabeer Bhatia had an idea, and started HotMail, the most popular free email service on the net

38. Waves ... • Indians throughout the world have been part of its history & have constantly been innovating & inventing while being one of the most culturally awake nations of all time ...

39. India’s history • India’s history dates back to thousands of years … • The earliest known civilization was the Harappa culture which flourished in the Indus valley - the harappans were excellent town planners & they even had a pretty good drainage system, a thing unheard of in 2500 BC !

40. The Harappan culture had its roots around 7000 BC and continued on till about 1500 BC • The Aryans came from Central Asia & Eastern Europe & settled in the Punjab about 1500 BC

41. Literature • The oldest book in the world is also Indian - the Rig Veda, which is 5000 years old.It was written in Sanskrit. • Sanskrit was the primary language from which all other languages later evolved. • “Abhigyan Shakuntalam“ is a play by Kalidas - arguably India’s greatest poet, has been translated in all major languages of the world

42. The Ramayana • “The Ramayana” is the oldest epic which portrays the ideals of Indian society & culture • It is a story about Lord Rama, Hanuman & Sita

43. Mahabharata • The Mahabharata is the longest epic in the world. It is about a dynasty & how a major battle between brothers changed the course of India’s history • The battle of Mahabharata took place around 900 BC

44. Then came the empires ... • Chandragupta Maurya, Emperor Ashoka etc. brought about cultural & political changes which can still be felt today. • They unified the country & represented it as one.

45. Arthashastra • Under the King Chandragupta Maurya, Chanakya ( or Kautilya ) wrote the detailed & in-depth book about economics, administration & politics called “Arthashastra”

46. The Mughals • The Mughals came from parts of Afghanistan & beyond in 1525 • They ushered in another golden age of building, arts and literature Agra Fort

47. The Mughals ... • The Mughals added even more variety to Indian Architecture, Food and Culture & customs Taj Mahal

48. The British • Colonial Europe found its way to India through Vasco Da Gama, an explorer who finally managed to find a sea-route to India • Within a century and some more, India saw permanent trade with the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British and the Danes

49. The British Raj • The British, were here to make money, but they also developed a railway network • They developed Tea, Coffee & cotton plantations • Expanded Iron & Coal mining etc

50. The Raj • The Raj saw a deep exploitation of India, wildlife was hunted down as sport, the people were exploited … • It was all very sad …until ...