While India is a modern industrial state it has not forgotten its ancient roots. Expatriates posted to the country can look forward to an enriching cultural experience.

Living in India

The geographical spread of India offers varied climates and terrain - be it mountains, coastal belts, deserts, plains or rain-fed tropical forests.

There are distinct seasons in India but the intensity of weather varies in different parts of the country. The summer season lasts from April to the middle of June, when temperatures rise to above 40 degrees centigrade in many parts of northern and central India. December, January and February are the coldest months, and while temperatures drop to near zero in northern India, the south rarely experiences temperatures below 10 degrees centigrade.

India offers the advantage of a low cost of living, compared to American and European standards. This, alongwith the availability of well developed residential areas contribute to the comfortable standard of living that expatriates enjoy in India.

The metropolitan cities and large towns of India have a number of five star hotels, clubs, restaurants, cinemas, discotheques, etc. which cater to the professional and recreational needs of tourists, business travellers, and residents.

Hotels and clubs offer a wide range of avenues for entertainment to suit various leisure needs. Facilities for squash, tennis, snooker, swimming, and work-outs are easily available. In addition, most large cities have golf courses, with plans for more to keep pace with the growing popularity of the game. Signature courses, such as those designed by Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Arnold Palmer have come up in recent times, while several others are planned for the near future.

The introduction of cable television has brought TV shows and news from around the world into the living rooms of Indian households. The Hong Kong based Star TV beams popular TV shows, and international sports events to the country. BBC and CNN broadcast news bulletins around the clock. Other popular international channels include Discovery, National Geographic, etc.

Indian cuisine is unique in the variety that it offers. Culinary preparations vary in different regions of the country and suit a variety of tastes. Restaurants offer food from all parts of the country. Continental food is popular in the large cities with French, Thai, Mexican, and Italian food available in restaurants and hotels. Chinese and American fast food are very popular with outlets present in most cities and towns. Some of the large multinational fast food chains present in the country are Wimpy, McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

India has a vast tourism industry with a number of well-located holiday resorts. Some of the well-known tourism companies which have come to India with technical or equity participation are Accor, Day's Inn Inc., Choice Hotels International, Sheraton, Best Western, Resort Condominiums, etc. Thousands of tourists visit the country to enjoy the natural beauty or visit religious or cultural sites.

The Himalayas in the north are endowed with some of the most beautiful hill stations in the world. Facilities for trekking, river rafting, skiing and sight seeing are well developed, with many people flocking to the mountain state of Himachal Pradesh every year.

One of the biggest tourist attractions in India is "The Taj Mahal" - acknowledged as one of the seven modern wonders of the world, this monument is situated in Agra, only a few hours by road from Delhi. The desert state of Rajasthan in the west, has a rich historical heritage with beautiful forts, palaces and temples. The west coast is endowed with beautiful beach resorts. Goa, one of the prominent beach resorts of the world, is situated on the western coastline along the Arabian Sea. South India offers beautiful beaches, palaces, ancient temples and places of pilgrimage for people visiting India. It has the added advantage of a temperate climate throughout the year, except for the monsoon months between July and September. The east offers beautiful hill stations, located in the states of West Bengal and Sikkim - many of which are base points for treks to the highest peaks of the world: Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga. Some of the largest and most scenic tea plantations of the country are also located in this region.

Most parts of the country are well connected by air, rail and road transport. India has an extensive rail and road transport system. Indian Airlines, the government owned airline, and a number of other private operators run scheduled flights to various destinations. Charter flight services, offered by a few private companies, are also available.

International air connections are available from Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Chennai (Madras), Thiruvananthapuram and Calcutta. Most of the international airlines, including Air India, have regular flights into the country.

Indian markets have always been well equipped with consumer durables and non durables. Well established Indian brands now face competition from a number of international brands being marketed in the country. Suzuki, Whirlpool, Piaggio, Bosch, Sony, Sanyo, General Electric, Philips, amongst others, are familiar names amongst consumer durables. Products from Unilever, P&G, Gillette, Coca Cola, Pepsi Co, and many other multinationals can be bought off shop shelves in almost all cities and towns.

Traditional Indian handicrafts have a reputation for quality and exquisiteness. Different regions are famous for their own unique workmanship, which has been recognised all over the world.