About India

India was the Crown of the British Empire from the late 18th century to 1947 when independence was granted. The subcontinent was partitioned into the secular Democratic Republic of India, and the smaller Islamic Republic of Pakistan. In 1971, East Pakistan became the separate nation of Bangladesh. Hindi is the national language of India. Each state or region has its own dialect. English is the "official" language of business and the educated professionals. The major religion is Hindu, but there is a sizable Muslim population and a small Christian population. Other religions and sects co-exist in smaller numbers.

India is the world's largest democracy with a population exceeding one (1) billion people. Only China has more people. Approximately 300 million Indians belong to the rising middle class which is growing rapidly in the past decade and will grow into the future. India is self-sufficient in terms of food. It is the fourth largest economy in the world. The currency is the Rupee.

India is aiming to become the favored destination for Medical Tourists seeking high quality, affordable treatments. Over 100,000 foreign patients travel to India annually for health care. A new suburb of New Delhi, Gurgoan, is becoming the hub for the latest, state-of-the-art hospitals that rival, if not surpass the best US hospitals in infrastructure, technology and medical specialists who are among the most talented in India, if not the World. The best Indian physicians have received additional training in the US, UK, various European countries and certain Asian countries including the Pacific Rim countries of Australia and New Zealand. The private, corporate hospitals are funded by corporate giants such as major pharma companies, Apollo Hospitals and industrial companies the likes of Apollo tyres. Some 2,500 hospital beds have recently been completed or are under construction in this western-style suburb which will soon be the largest concentration of medical tourist focused healthcare in the World.

A June 2006 Time magazine cover story on India reported 10 Ways India is changing the World:

Growing Up
India's GDP topped $800 billion in 2005. The economy has grown an average of 8% over the past three years, the second fastest rate in the world.
Challenging China
India lags behind China in GDP and foreign direct investment. But India is freer and growing faster, which may well give it the edge over the long haul.
I-T Powerhouse
India's Internet-technology industry, which includes other outsourcing services, generated revenues of $36 billion in 2005, up 28% from 2004.
Striking It Rich
A surging stock market has boosted the number of Indian billionaires to 23-ten of whom are new in 2006-compared with eight in China. India's billionaires boast a combined net worth of $99 billion, an increase of 60% from the year before.
Consuming Conspicuously
Since 1996, the number of Indian passengers on airlines has risen sixfold, to about 50-million travelers a year, and sales of motorcycles and passenger cars have doubled.
Packing Them In
India's $1.5 billion film industry is the largest in the world, both in number of movies produced and in number of tickets sold. India makes close to 1,000 movies a year, five times Hollywood's output.
Attracting Attention
Tourism to India has risen about 20% over the past two years. Some 618,000 Americans flocked to India last year, making up nearly 16% of India's total visitors.
Exporting Talent
About 2 million people of Indian descent live in the U.S. The average household income of Indian immigrants in the U.S. is the highest of any ethnic group.
Peopling The Planet
Home to more than 1 billion people, India accounts for one-sixth of the world's population. In less than 50-years, it's expected to be the world's most populous nation.
Brewing Crisis
India has more people living with HIV-an estimated 5.7 million-than any other country.

Sources: World Bank, UN, McKinsey&Co., PriceWaterhouseCoopers report, Forbes and the Government of India.

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