Themes

Enchanting India

The world is changing at a rapid pace. New players have appeared on the horizon and will soon shore up their respective positions in the global economy and in international affairs. India deserves special attention in this context, due both to its historical and cultural wealth as well as the economic challenges it faces and the social paradoxes that distinguish the country.

The statistical data on India are quite revealing: the country has more than 1.2 billion inhabitants, and before long it will become the most populous country in the world. In addition, half of its population is currently under the age of 25. India is also the largest democracy and one of the fastest-growing economies on the planet. Indian companies are becoming increasingly integrated into the global economy. At the same time, India continues to struggle with the problems that are common to developing countries: poverty, illiteracy, limited infrastructure and social tensions.

“India is the most interesting country in the world,” said Dr Ramachandra Guha during a lecture he gave at the KU Leuven in 2012. He also referred to the country as “the world’s most ambitious and most reckless political experiment in history”. Indeed, in 1947, no one would have dared think that India would remain a unified and democratic country to this day. Yet India is still a country of stark contrasts and diversity. In addition to English, the country has no fewer than 22 official languages, with Hindi spoken by roughly forty percent of the country’s inhabitants.

India House Leuven would like to help you become more familiar with India, and we hope to enchant you in the process.