Hello, world

Key questions

What is the view of India from India?

How is globalisation shaping India’s worldview and sense of  place in the world?

There are different opinions on New India’s economic success within the country itself. Much of these different views is owing to the varying experiences of globalisation. Some people feel extremely confident that New India is the way forward, the others either feel excluded from it.

Annual gross income in India has risen from US million $422,455.12 in 2003 to US million $580,914.50 in 2007
Annual disposable income in India has risen from US million $403,114.93 in 2003 to US million $589,081.53 in 2007
GDP measured at purchasing power parity (million international $) has risen from 3,003,617 in 2003 to 4,555,318 in 2007

Links

• Further indictors of India's growing wealth including new car purchases, consumerable electronics market and growth in cosmetics, soft drinks and tourism markets

Starter

Bollywood is a beacon of hope for many young people in India.

On 26 January 2006 (Independence Day) it released its most popular film yet, Rang de Basanti.

Read this review:

Oscar nominated Rang de Basanti opens with Sue, a young London based film-maker, going to India to shoot a film about the Indian revolutionaries her grandfather wrote about in his diary fifty years before.

She flies to Delhi and tries to find five young people to star in her film. But no-one is interested. To them the idea of being a revolutionary, and giving up your life for your beliefs, is the stuff text-books are made of. They would rather shop, socialise and party. Then, something happens, and the five embark on a journey that will change their lives…

This is not a run-of-the-mill type of film. It tells us so much about the ups and downs of being a young Indian today. Thrilling, and not to be missed
 
Watch the Hello World film and see what you think.

What parts of the clip did you recognise from the review?

What did you like about it?

Can you see any evidence of globalisation in it?

What do you think ‘A generation awakens’ means at the start of the clip?

Main Activity

Read the interviews with four Bangalore citizens. They all answered two questions:

• What do you think about the new wealth in India?

• What can the world learn from India?

As a class, or in small groups, read all four interviews and discuss the similarities and differences in their answers.

• Chappa picker

• Adventure travel consultant

• IT consultant

• Student

Who is most excited about the new wealth in India? Who is the least excited?

Plot each person onto the Continuum and give reasons in the boxes. There are no right answers – you just need to justify your choices.

Is it really possible to measure people’s excitement?

What else could we measure from these interviews?

Do you think there is a link between wealth and excitement – are the richer people more excited about India’s future?

Are there any other links?