2007, India turned 60 and yet She has the vigor and sensuality of a 16 year old. She still has the tenacity and the power to indulge herself in anything. Indians have grown at a tremendous pace in the last 5 years.

2007 bids good bye with the threat of another election looming at large. The Nuclear deal with US is proving to be a bit costly for the Indian National Congress lead UPA Govt. With Gujarat and Himachal polls suggesting that Congress rule at the center is loosing steam, they cant afford to go on an early election. BJP did it and they lost. The question of aam aadmi, is likely to prove costly for INC. There are enough over-the-teacup discussions on politics, lets move on..

In the name of GOD, still proves to be a hindrance in development process, with politicos going to the extend of deliberately forgetting the fact about a Secular state. Wounds of past events are kept fresh. The sad part is that, even the highly educated people fall for such roadblocks. Education is still not able to curb the differences. Yes the literacy rate is up for the Nation from approx 52% in 1991 to 65% in the 2001 census. But yet we heard about infanticide in some of our modern cities.

The two most notable things were the growth of “plastics money” and Mobile phones. Credit cards have become the new kid in the block and Indians seem to be not at all afraid to use those shiny pieces of plastic. The fact is the Great Indian Middle class is the one that is foraying into the uncharted territories. With the 1990s being the period of market liberalizations, 2000s are proving to be the decade of the Consumers. Malls sprouting at every nook and corner, the thrifty Indian has broken the shackles. That doesn’t mean that Indians have become big time spenders. The savings rate too have risen according to stats. So what are we? people that save, who spend a lot… I’m confused.

Indians talk and we know that better than anyone else in the whole world. Why? Coz we all are bloody Indians. Some serious and highly competitive acquisitions were seen in the Telecom sector. With Airtel its a new home, we bid good bye to Hutch and welcomed Vodafone. India offers the lowest calling rates in the whole world and we Indians are sure using that to the max. Talk India, Talk!!!

There is a new face of India, a much more aggressive India. We show passion like no other culture, but now there is aggressiveness in the way we do and approach things. Sreesanth instantaneously became the 21st century’s Angry-young-man of India. Nobody couldn’t believe when he took on Simonds.

In television, the Saans-Bahu soaps that keeps running even if you take a bullet to your head has all of a sudden taken a back seat in the family entertainment circle. 3hrs 20-20 cricket and Reality shows began ruling the scene. Some shows that went on to create some of the worst ethnic clashes that we had seen in the last year. I just couldn’t figure out, What were they thinking? There has also been a new kid in the block. Its no kid, its a David, that fell the Goliath of BBC. Live news coverage!!! To kids that all of a sudden start falling into wells all over the country, to the latest in the scandals were brought to your living rooms like hot pakodaas by these 24×7 news channels. Its and information revolution that we are seeing here. Information that is going hay wire at times, with 10 different versions of the same news on 9 different channels. I miss the 6am to 11pm Doordarshan. Where are you, Our National carrier???

Ohh carriers… Mallaya and Kingfisher, the Spirit King and his flagship birdie. Now thats what aggressiveness is. People who have come to know Mallaya close, knows that he is one of those persons that strive for quality and aggression is his second name. Deccan is His, and i bet 2008 will soon see the dominance of the Kingfisher on Indian skies. Mr. Premji, how can i miss you out. He buys International IT Sector companies like he is on a date.

DATE?? ohh ya date. Has anyone noticed the change in the social structure and many of the stigmas don’t exist anymore. But if i talk more i’m not being fair to the majority of the Indians. Still urban India has seen a lot of face change happening. Not Men alone, Women are ready to experiment. SEX that was a taboo to talk about, is no more a problem. Having an affair is not seen as a reason to be a social outcast now.

SEX? Oh my god the population!!! well we have to admit over the ages ‘Nirodh’ has shown its chamatkaar. More than Men, women has started insisting on its usage. Indians can now ask for more there too – dotted, ribbed, flavored, colored, scented and it comes with a vibrator too. Growth rate of population has come down.

Many a times i still dont understand, then why the hell are we all against having a girl child. We were shocked my multiple incidents of female infanticide. Adding on to that, the average Indian’s view on a lady on the road was visible when 2007 was greeted with a molestation case that rocked the very foundations of how we treat a woman. Well 2008 was no different we scored 2 at the same location and the history just repeated.

Sports largely represents Cricket here and exposure of other sports remain a distant dream, unless you have an ambassador that gets all the womanisers to the green lawn. She seems not to be short of any controversy too these days.

The Indian Cinema is having a change too or rather is going through a change. Far more movies are running successfully at theaters than it used to do 2 years back. The average cine-goers perspective has changed along with the 70mm camera’s too. There is freshness in the stories, there is creativeness in the takes and no longer are the movie makers scared to experiment. Old still remains Gold. When Jai became Gabbar Singh people just said “Rishtey main SHOLAY, AAG ka baap lagtha hai”. They just doused off RGV’s AAG. That remains as a warning that some films are still valued and they just cant be remade. Still we continue to make movies with 10-12 songs elaborate sets and utterly boring too.. Totally Made in India…

Now what do we Indians really need for the years ahead? For me, i would ask for More Sania Mirzas, more Indians heading Global firms, Kingfisher International Airlines, India in FIFA world cup and more cyber crackers form India.

Concluding with with what Rakesh Sharma said when he saw India from the space- “Saare Jahaan se Achcha!!!” (Beautiful than the whole world)

Have you seen an India that you would like to let the whole world know? Share it with us here…