India at a Glance | History, Culture & Facts!

India, a southeast Asian Nation, is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country having more than 1.33 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. India boasts of an immensely wealthy and vibrant cultural heritage, including numerous traditions, languages, and people. The country holds its uniqueness in its diversity and has adapted itself to International changes with poise and comfort. Indian villagers proudly take up farming, advanced agriculture, and unique traditional handicrafts as their profession on one hand while modern industries and professional services sectors are coming up in a big way.

India's history and culture is a fascinating epic of a great civilization. A study of Indian history provides an excellent example of this evolution. In 1947, India wrested its independence from Britain after a long period of freedom struggle led by the visionary leaders of the Indian National Congress, especially Mahatma Gandhi. Since 1920, the freedom movement leaders started highly popular mass campaigns against the British Raj (rule) using Satyagraha, the peaceful methods. India's acquisition of independence resulted in the formation of two countries, India and Pakistan. Which followed the controversial partition of India, rioting broke out, leaving some more than 700,000 dead. This period saw one of the most massive mass migrations ever recorded in modern history, with a total of 12 million Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims moving between the newly created nations of India and Pakistan.

At around 600 BC, India was one of the first countries in the world to transition from barter system to money based trade system, whereas, around 350 BC, Chanakya laid down the foundation of classical economics. He laid down the foundation of the Maurya Empire, which provided the basis for the standard economic structure in India. India was the world's largest economy for 1000 years; during the years 1 AD and 1000 AD. In 1500 AD, India's economy had a 24.5% share of world income. In 1600AD, India's income of £17.5 million was more significant than the entire treasury of Great Britain, which totaled £16 million.

Today, India is a bright spot in the global economic system once again, as its participation in the world economic system is increasing significantly year after year. India's share in the world GDP increased from 1.7% in 2010 to around 3% in 2015. India is one of the fastest moving emerging economies with a growth rate of 7.6% in 2015 and projected by IMF to grow at 7.4% in the current year (2016-2017).

India is increasingly becoming competitive on global charts. Recently in Global Competitiveness Index 2016, India jumped 16 ranks to 39th place from 55th amongst 140 countries. India has now been ranked 35th amongst 160 countries in Logistics Performance Index (LPI) 2016. India is ranked second among 30 developing countries in the Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) 2016.

According to the World Bank's Doing Business report 2016, India is positioned at 130th rank amongst 189 economies. India's ranking in terms of leading exporters has improved from 30th to 19th in the year 2015. India's share in the world's merchandise trade was 2% in 2015, of which share in the world's merchandise exports is 1.6% and imports 2.4%. India has been ranked among the top 3 attractive destinations for inbound investments. The favorable policy regime has ensured large foreign capital inflows into the country.

All this is attributed to continuous policy reforms undertaken by the government that began with the advent of the 1991 economic reforms. At the domestic front, the economic reforms undertaken by the government are highly commendable and would lead to desired outcomes in the coming times. The Make in India is a praiseworthy program by the Government of India, which is expected to establish India as a major manufacturing hub that will generate millions of employment opportunities and put India prominently on the global manufacturing map. In a short span of time, the program has identified the key to attract investment in various sectors, foster innovation, develop skills, and improve the state of the art manufacturing infrastructure. Other significant reforms such as Digital India, Jan Dhan Yojana, Start-up India, Stand-up India, Smart Cities Mission, Swach Bharat Mission will take the economy in high growth trajectory by the building of soft as well as hard infrastructure, employment generation and increased inflows of investments.

GST implementation is going to provide impetus to various reforms and policies introduced by the government to push India to a more simple, transparent, and tax-friendly regime and promote the ease of doing business. The implementation of GST will further reduce the barriers between the states and will make the country a common market, common base, and common rates across goods and services.

Geography

Location: India lies to the north of the equator in Southern Asia

Latitude: 8° 4' to 37° 6' north

Longitude: 68° 7' to 97° 25' east

Neighboring Countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan share political borders with India on the West while Bangladesh and Myanmar stand adjacent to the Eastern borders. The northern boundary comprises the Sinkiang province of China, Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan. Sri Lanka is another neighboring country which is separated by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.

Capital: Delhi

Coastline: 7,517 km, including the mainland, the coasts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea.

Climate: Southern India majorly enjoys a tropical climate, but northern India experiences temperatures from sub-zero degrees to 50 degrees Celsius. Winters embrace northern India during December to February while springs blossom in March and April. Monsoons arrive in June and stay until September, followed by autumn in October and November.

Area: India measures 3,214 km from north to south and 2,933 km from east to west with a total area of 3,287,263 sq km.

Natural Resources: Coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land.

Land: 2,973,190 sq km

Water: 314,070 sq km

Demographic Profile

Population: 1,326,801,000

Population Growth Rate: 1.58 percent (June 2015)

Religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism

Languages: Hindi, English and at least 16 other official languages

Literacy: 74.04 percent (provisional data - 2011 census)

Male: 82.14 percent

Female: 65.46 percent

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Life expectancy: 66.97 years (men), 69.42 years (women) (provisional data - 2015)

Political System and Government

The world's largest democracy implemented its Constitution in 1950 that provided a parliamentary system of government with a bicameral parliament and three independent branches: the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. The country has a federal structure with elected governments in States.

Administrative Divisions: 29 States and 7 Union Territories

Constitution: The Constitution of India came into force on January 26, 1950

Executive Branch: The President of India is the Head of State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government and runs the office with the support of the Council of Ministers who forms the Cabinet.

Legislative Branch: The Federal Legislature comprises the LokSabha (House of the People) and the RajyaSabha (Council of States), forming both the Houses of the Parliament.

Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and Subordinate Courts.

Chief of State: President, Mr. Ram Nath Kovind (since July 25, 2017)

Head of Government: Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi (since May 26, 2014)

Economic Profile

According to The World Bank, the Indian economy will likely grow at 7.6 percent in 2016-17, followed by a further acceleration to 7.7 percent in 2017-18 and 7.8 percent in 2018-19.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Composition by Sector (FY 2014)

Services: 65 percent

Industry: 18 percent

Agriculture: 17 percent

Forex Reserves: US$ 365.82 billion as of August 12, 2016.

Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) at current prices: Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) at current prices stood at ₹ 0.89 trillion (US$ 131.36 billion) in the first quarter of 2016.

Value of Exports: India's exports stood at US$ 21.68 billion in July 2016.

Export Partners: US, Germany, UAE, China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the European Union. India is also tapping newer markets in Africa and Latin America.

Currency (code): Indian Rupee (₹)

Exchange Rates: Indian rupees per US dollar - 1 USD = 67.0750 INR (August 23, 2016)

Fiscal Year: April 01 – March 31

Cumulative FDI Equity Inflows: US$ 288.513 billion (April 2000 to March 2016)

Share of Top Investing Countries FDI Equity Inflows: Mauritius (33.24 percent), Singapore (15.9 percent), UK (8.01 percent), Japan (7.27 percent), USA (6.22 percent), Netherlands (6.00 percent) (as in March 2016)

Major Sectors Attracting Highest FDI Equity Inflows: Services Sector (17.60 percent), Construction Development (8.38 percent), Computer Software and Hardware (7.28 percent), Telecommunications (6.37 percent), Automobile (5.22 percent), Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (4.80 percent), Chemical (4.12 percent), Trading (4.12 percent) (as in March 2016)

Transportation

Airports: Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages 125 airports in the country, which includes 18 international aerodromes, 78 domestic ones and 26 civil enclaves at defense airfields.

International Airports: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Port Blair, Srinagar, Jaipur, Nagpur, Calicut, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore.

Railways: The Indian Railways network is spread over 65,800 km, with 12,617 passengers and 7,421 freight trains each day from 7,172 stations plying 23 million travelers and 2.65 million tonnes (MT) of goods daily.

Roadways: India’s road network of 4.87 million km is the second largest road network in the world. With the number of vehicles growing at an average annual pace of 10.16 percent, Indian roads carry about 65 percent of freight and 85 percent of passenger traffic.

Waterways (major ports of entry): Chennai, Ennore, Haldia, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Kolkata, Kandla, Kochi, Mormugao, Mumbai, New Mangalore, Paradip, Tuticorin, and Vishakhapatnam.

Vibrant Seasons

The climate in India differs from state to state. The seasons in the South are different from those in the North. While North India mostly conforms to this marked change of seasons, it is less so in South India, which is marked chiefly by long summers and light winters. There are four main seasons, which are common to whole India: summer season, rainy season, winter, and spring season. However, as per the Hindu calendar, there are primarily six seasons or 'Ritu' in a year. The six Indian seasons classified in the Hindu scriptures are Vasant Ritu or Spring, Grishma Ritu or Summer, Varsha Ritu or Monsoon, Sharad Ritu or Autumn, Hemant Ritu or Pre-winter, Shishir / Shita Ritu or Winter.

Colorful Festivals

The land of many religions and numerous languages has well described as the land of festivals and happiness. Few festivals are celebrated throughout the country; however, some have specific regional associations. India celebrates holidays and festivals of almost all the faiths in the world. Each festival has its own specialty with special foods and sweets suitable for the season and crops. The national festivals include Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gandhi Jayanti, which are celebrated with great zeal throughout the nation. Some of the major festivals of India are Diwali, Dussehra, Holi, Christmas, Eid, Ganesh Chaturthi, Pongal, Raksha Bandhan, Durga Puja, Krishna Janmashtami, Baisakhi and many more.

Indian Tourism

The Indian tourism and hospitality industry has emerged as one of the chief drivers of growth among the services sector in India. It has significant potential considering the rich cultural and historical heritage, variety in ecology, terrains, and places of natural beauty spread across the country in the coming times. Also, tourism is becoming a potentially large employment generator besides being a significant source of foreign exchange for the country.

The industry is expected to generate 13.45 million jobs across sub-segments such as Restaurants (10.49 million jobs), Hotels (2.3 million jobs), and Travel Agents/Tour Operators (0.66 million). The Ministry of Tourism plans to help the industry meet the increasing demand for the skilled and trained workforce by providing hospitality education to students as well as certifying and upgrading skills of existing service providers. India has moved up 13 positions to 52nd rank from 65th in Tourism & Travel competitive index.

Top Hill Stations and Tourist Places

Goa - Pearl of the Orient and a Tourist Paradise: Located on the western coast of India in the coastal belt known as Konkan, Goa comprises of magnificent scenic beauty and the architectural splendors of its temples, churches and old houses, pristine beaches and sea.

Shimla (Kufri) - A paradise for vacationers: Kufri, a picturesque hill station situated 20 km away from Shimla, is known for its beautiful environment and the serene atmosphere that encompasses. The place is famous for tracking - hiking and Himalayan Wild Life Zoo.

Kullu - Manali: Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh is a stunning hill station surrounded by massive snow-clad mountains and thick pinewood forests. Manali is the top spot in the Kullu - Manali valley. It is blessed with many attractions such as Beas Kund, Chandrakhani Pass, Rohtang Pass, Solang Valley, Parvati Valley, and Vashisht village.

McLeod Ganj: Quite popularly associated as a residence of Lord Dalai Lama, McLeod Ganj is commonly known for spectacular Himalayan trekking in the Dhauladhar Range, temples, monasteries, schools and libraries.

Khajjiar - Mini Switzerland: Khajjiar is located near Dalhousie, lies in the Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh. Prime attractions of the destination are the Kalatop Khajjiar Sanctuary, Khajjiar ancient Khajjinag Temple, which comprises images of the Pandavas and Kauravas and a nine-hole golf course.

Ooty - Queen of Hills: Ooty, the Nilgiris district, is one of the famous and exotic hill stations of India, which is visited by countless vacationers and honeymooners. Nuzzled in the Blue Mountains of Western Ghats, there are plenty of impressive tourist spots like botanical gardens, lakes, boat houses, waterfalls, shooting scenes, wildlife sanctuary, tea estates, and many more.

Nainital - Lake District of India: A glittering jewel in the Himalayan necklace blessed with scenic natural splendor and varied natural resources and dotted lakes, Nainital is one of the popular hill stations in India. The destination is famous for its temples, handicrafts, candles, and lakes.

Leh Ladakh - Unparalleled Beauty: Lying in the north-east region of India, Leh surrounded by the world’s highest mountain ranges, Karakoram and Great Himalayas. The Ladakh is known for its extreme deserts, blue waters, freezing winds, glaciers, and dunes.

Kashmir - Paradise on earth: Located about 300 km from Jammu; Kashmir is widely known as the magic land of silvery streams, rivers, freshwater lakes, pine, deodar and chinar forests, snow-clad mountains, sparkling waterfalls, shikaras.

Darjeeling: It is one of the prettiest hill stations in the northern part of West Bengal with magnificent views of snow-capped Kanchenjunga, torrents flowing down the mountain slopes, lovely tea gardens, landscapes with firs, pines & ferns, and all that combined with friendly people and modern yet colonial charm.

Lansdowne - Quiet Hill Station: Lansdowne is a tiny yet pleasing hill spot for nature lovers and those who interested in tracking. The place is famous for its scenic beauty with majestic views snow-covered Himalayan peaks and lush green forests and peaceful environment.

Kausani - Switzerland of India: The destination is famous for panoramic views of the snowcapped Himalayas. Rudradhari falls, and caves, Lakshmi Ashram, Anasakti Ashram (Gandhi Ashram), Sumitranandan Pant Gallery, Kausani Tea Estate are few notable attraction points in Kausani.

Munsyari - The Little Kashmir: Situated at the foothill of Panchachuli peaks or five peaks, Munsyari is one of the coolest places in Uttarakhand. It is famous as a base camp for many short and long treks to famous glaciers and snow hills such as Khalia top trekking, ThamriKund trek, and many more.

Konkan: Konkan is well known for its beautiful beaches, forts, and cuisine and is fast emerging as a favorite tourist destination for tourists.

Vindayachal: Vindyachal town, 78 km away from Varanasi, is well-known for the temple Vindhyavasini through which Ganga passes sharing the divinity established here.

Chitkul: Chitkul village in Himachal Pradesh is the last inhabited village before the Indo-Tibetan border and is known for its natural beauty and cold climate.

Kasauli: Surrounded with dense timbered woods, Kasauli is located in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh and is famous for its picture-perfect surroundings and magnificent Victorian mansions, snow-covered mountains, lush greenery, gurgling torrents, and alpine meadows.

Pithoragarh Caves: Pithoragarh district encompasses Patal Bhuvaneshwar cave, which has been an attraction for being a long and mysterious cave. It is situated in the eastern part of Himachal Pradesh. 

Haridwar - Gateway to Gods: One of the most popular and vital Hindu pilgrimage spots, wherein Hindu pilgrims and devotees gather to offer prayers on auspicious occasions.

Pachmarhi - Queen of Satpura: Only hill station in Madhya Pradesh, Pachmarhi lies within the Pachmarhi Biosphere Preserve and is famed for the Satpura forests, streams, waterfalls and wildlife.

Udaipur - Venice of the East: The city is well known as the most romantic and most beautiful cities of India. It is famous for Fateh Sagar Lake, the Lake Pichhola, and the smaller Swaroop Sagar Lake, along with forts, palaces, temples, gardens, mountains, and narrow lanes lines withdrawn with stalls which attract tourists across the world.

Jodhpur - The Sun City: Formally known as Marwar, the city Jodhpur features many beautiful palaces, forts, and temples. Apart from a stark, scenic desert landscape such as Jaswant Thada, Ganesh Temple, Mehrangarh Fort, Rai - ka - Bag Palace, Raj Ranchhodji Temple.

Pushkar - Rose Garden of Rajasthan: Located in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan, Pushkar is among the five pilgrim sites or dams for people following Hinduism and is very popular because of flower farming in and around the city.

Jaisalmer - Golden City: Lying in the Thar Desert, Jaisalmer is one of the last big towns in Rajasthan closest to the India-Pakistan border. The city is famous for its majestic fort of Jaisalmer that has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, spectacular Havelis, and dunes.

Bhangarh: The small city of Bhangarh is famous for its abandoned fort of Bhangarh along with temples, palaces, and multiple gates, covering a large area of land at the foot of a mountain.

Pondicherry/Puducherry: Situated in Tamil Nadu state, Puducherry has a strong influence on French culture, especially on its architecture and has notable hotels, restaurants, and lifestyle shops as major attractions.

Amritsar: One of the largest cities in Punjab, Amritsar, is the central pilgrimage spot for Sikhs and the site of the Sikhs’ principal place of worship - the Harmandir Sahib, or the Golden Temple.

Mathura: Nucleus of Braja bhumi and birthplace of Lord Krishna, Mathura encompasses numerous temples and is the most important place of pilgrimage for devotees of Lord Krishna.

Dalhousie: Located at the western end of the Dhauladhar range of mountains, Dalhousie is popularly known for several Victorian-style mansions, Scottish architecture, and other charming colonial buildings.

Srinagar: Situated on the bank of river Jhelum, Srinagar is the capital of Jammu & Kashmir and is famous for its lakes, houseboats, and gardens. Some notable tourist spots include Mughal garden, Dal Lake, Shalimar Ghat, Pari Mahal, and Hariparbat fort.

Varanasi: Resting on the left bank of holy river Ganga, Varanasi is widely known as India’s religious capital and is one of the seven sacred spots for Hindus.

Visakhapatnam: One of the best tourist destinations in Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam endows with beautiful lakes, beaches, hill ranges to caves, valleys, and alluring temples.

Monuments

Taj Mahal: Built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan in the 17th century in the loving memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders in the world and is the main tourist attraction in Agra city.

Red Fort/ Lal Quila: Situated in Delhi and endowed with majestic walls made of red sandstones, Red Fort is one of the most important historical monuments of India and was built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan. Every year, the Prime Minister of our country hoists the national flag at Red Fort.

Qutab Minar: Listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage sites, Qutab Minar is the highest stone tower built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1199 AD. The beautiful religious buildings of the Qutub Minar complex form one of Delhi’s most spectacular sights. 

Amer Fort: Located at 11 km from Jaipur, Amer is one of the oldest forts built by Raja Man Singh in 1592. The fort boasts of various buildings of prominence like the Diwan-i-Aam, the Sheesh Mahal, and Sukh Mahal along with Shila Devi temple and the Ganesh Pol.

Howrah Bridge - “Cantilever Truss” Bridge without nuts and bolts: Standing tall for 66 years, Howrah Bridge is located at Howrah in West Bengal and has been one of the renowned landmarks of Kolkata. More than 150,000 vehicles and 4,000,000 pedestrians cross over the bridge every day.

Kumbhalgarh Fort and Chittorgarh Fort: it is the most prominent forts of Udaipur, which are known for their magnificent architecture and splendid work.

Famous Temples, Mosques, Sikh Temples, and Churches

Char (four) Dhams: Four abodes in the Himalayas collectively referred to as "Chota Char Dham of India" includes four holy shrines of Hindus: Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. All of these temples are situated within the Garwhal region of Uttarakhand state in North India.

Golden temple - Harmandir Sahib: Symbol of human brotherhood and equality, Golden temple is the holiest shrine in Sikhism and is located in Amritsar Punjab.

Vaishno Devi: Vaishno Devi Mandir is a holy pilgrimage destination for the Hindus, located in the folds of three-peaked mountain Trikuta and is 12 km away from Katra in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Amarnath: Amarnath is one of the prominent religious destinations dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is the holy Amarnath cave, which is located in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jwala Ji: Jawala Ji temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths and is one of the highly venerated Shakti Temples in India. It is situated in the lap of a Shivalik range of Kangra valley called "Kalidhar."

Mata Chintapurni: Goddess Mata Chintapurni Temple is the famous Hindu Temple in Himachal Pradesh devoted to goddess Mata Chintpurni or Chhinnamastika Devi.

Mansa Devi: Mansa Devi is one of the most visited temples of Haridwar – Uttaranchal, dedicated to Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti (power) located at the top of Bilwa Parvat (hill). Maharaja Gopal Singh of Manimajra constructed the temple during the period 1811-1815.

Hazrat Nizamuddin: The dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin is the Mausoleum of a World-renowned Sufi Saint of the Chisti order named Nizamuddin Auliya. The tomb is situated at the west of Nizamuddin, approximately 2 km from Humayun Tomb in New Delhi.

Jama Masjid: One of the largest mosques in India, the mosque was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan between 1644 and 1658 AD and Jama Masjid is located in the heart of old Delhi.

Moti Masjid: Situated inside the premises of the famous Red Fort of Agra city, Moti Masjid was built out of white marble by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Top IT Cities

Delhi-NCR: Delhi, the capital of India, is the prime gateway to the country and is endowed with various historical monuments, museums, gardens, buildings, world-class restaurants, and universities. The city provides the best transportation facility, such as metro rail and bus transportation.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, is a bustling 400-year-old metropolis with an urban population of 4.2 million people. Hyderabad is famous for its minarets. It has emerged as the tech hub of the country due to a business-friendly policy of the state government.

Bengaluru: IT city Bengaluru is the capital of Karnataka and one of the most prominent cities of India. Referred to as the "Silicon Valley of India," Bengaluru is India's leading Information Technology exporter.

Chandigarh: Being the first planned city in India after the independence of the country. Chandigarh is the capital of two neighbor states, Punjab and Haryana. It has the best infrastructure, transportation facilities, communication facilities, and the best human resources.

Chennai: The capital of Tamil Nadu state, Chennai is also the high tech city of India and is considered as one of the busiest ports in the country.

Mumbai: Besides being the financial capital of the country, Mumbai is appreciated as the entertainment hub of India and the fastest growing tech center of Maharashtra after Pune.

Pune: Pune endows thousands of IT companies and is on the way to become the next IT hub of India.

Cities with good infrastructure

Ahmedabad: Financial capital of the state of Gujarat, Ahmedabad, was once known as the ‘Manchester of India’ due to large numbers of cloth mills. The city has large numbers of bridges, tech companies, and most advanced communication systems.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad city, capital of Andhra Pradesh has the best infrastructure compare to other cities of the state and provides the best high-speed Internet, best transportation, availability of talent pool, communication facilities, and educational institutes.

Delhi: The national capital of India is home to several historic sites and museums, particularly renowned for its beautifully landscaped gardens and infrastructure.

Mumbai: The dream city of Mumbai is full of dreamers, Bollywood stars, laborers, and millionaires. It is endowed with a smart infrastructure comprising of high tech buildings to bridges and many more.

Chennai: Chennai is the capital city of Tamil Nadu and India’s most prominent cultural and educational hub in South India. The city is known as Detroit of South Asia and one of the Indian cities most visited by foreign tourists.

Indore: Indore situated west of capital Bhopal is the 14th most populous city in India. 

Kolkata: The capital of West Bengal, Kolkata is the first city in India to be built. The city symbolizes creativity and vibrant with all the modern amenities available. A metro system and some of its buildings are more than a hundred years old.

Pune: Cultural capital of Maharashtra, Pune is known for its educational facilities and its growing industrial hinterland, with information technology and automotive companies.

Bangalore: Known as the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore is famed for its world-class infrastructure, transportation, IT parks, and talent availability.

Amidst this gloomy landscape of world economic turmoil, the Indian economy is showing its resilience. It is recognized as the fastest-growing economy in the world ecosystem with a focus on financial reforms, infrastructure build-up, industrial development, agriculture reforms, skill development, women empowerment, technology up-gradation in the medical field, etc. Further, India’s rich heritage includes not just breathtakingly beautiful architecture, rich traditions, and diverse cultures but also mesmerizing and scenic landscapes. The challenging snow-clad peaks of the Himalayas and the cool hill stations of the north to the alluring beaches on the western and eastern coasts and the ornate temples of the south. India has the variety to satiate the interests of all those traveling through the country. India is profiled as the most preferred tourist destination in recent times as it is endowed with varied types of tourist spots starting from hill stations to fort cities to coastal areas and deserts. The Government of India is taking various initiatives to promote Indian culture and facilitate secure transport across borders.