Diversity and Inclusion

India is extremely diverse, an obvious point but a significant factor that affects every aspect of life. I had a great conversation today with one of the directors from the Mumbai office about the diversity of India and its future economic prospects. With such a large population and as a growing economic power, there are high expectations about the societal and economic future of India. With more than 18 official languages and many more unofficial languages, different ethnic groups, different religions, and the pressure of ‘modernization,’ India faces a truly daunting task. There are more than 30 bank holidays, because there is a bank holiday for every religious and national holiday in India. This means every Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Sikh, etc holiday is observed. How so very inclusive! Then there are the languages, sometimes mistakenly referred to as dialects. There is a distinct language in each of state India; it was one of the factors when dividing India into its present states. So school children learn subjects in their native language until first grade, and then start learning Hindi and English. However the unfortunate children who are uneducated often do not get a chance to learn Hindi and English. When you call Customer Service there are multiple language options. Then there are different ethnic groups. Often times this diversity is found within a state. So to have true unity and face the 21^st century, the people within each state must unify and the states must unify. Otherwise you have a very splintered country which lacks the focus in order to maximize on its vast potential.

Then there are differing views on the best path forward to economic growth. Mostly accepted now is the Western model of industrialization. Gandhi had advocated a republic of self-sufficient villages. A great illustration of the tension between tradition v. ‘modernization.’ In my research of state youth policies, there is an urgency in ensuring that traditional arts and culture are not forgotten. There is a sense of cultural pride that people have, and it has resulted in India painting its own version of modernization. I am curious to see how this will continue in the future. My theory is that since India has such a dominant popular culture of its own, with Bollywood and the accompanying music videos, that Western cultural influences will not be as significant. In other countries I've visited, American culture has been supremely dominant. In France American films were dubbed in French. The movie theaters here have Hindi movies, maybe one American movie. In other countries I hear about Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts. Here I hear about SRK, Kareena Kapoor, Aamir Khan, among others. Sometimes I would feel like American culture was encroaching on other countries' pop cultures, and sometimes I could feel an undercurrent of tension from the people. In India, popular culture is very independent and has acted as a great buffer to outside influences.

And then there’s China. There is much talk about China in the US, but I’ve never heard so much about China as I have here. I’ve seen posters that compare Indian and Chinese statistics on workforce, growth, and overall renown. As a fellow BRIC country, India is very aware of the comparisons being made between China and India and seems eager to prove their significance. They want to make sure India is on the map as China is. I have to agree that in my general conversations in the US, people would talk more about the influence that China is gaining. You would hear about the importance of learning Mandarin. I didn't hear as much about India or learning Hindi. However looking at the numbers, India has made huge strides in the past several years and can be the dark horse in this 'competition.' I think the realization of this potential will again lie in India’s ability to synthesize a wildly diverse country.

But India is a magical place. There really is no other place like it; it’s a different level of existence. A harmonious mix of contradictions. Frenetic sensory overload but life at a slower pace. Embracing Western models of growth but applying them to traditional industries. Then there are the cows and elephants that roam around the streets. That get fed from cars in parking lots.