However, I think comments like this only further darken the image of Indians to westerners. India is, on average, a very bad place to live. For example, India's state with highest HDI -Kerala ( where I am from )- is only comparable to certain Eastern European states.
And despite this positive news about startup funding, there has been massive capital flights from India in the recent years.
We have serious problems. Acknowledging them is the first step to solving them.
> India is, on average, a very bad place to live.
Not at all. I have been to many countries. The only difference is better infrastructure and waste management. Rest all is fluff (fashion, dining etc are all luxuries that are optional). I have never felt India is a "bad place" to live after all my travels. India is actually beautiful if you put some effort into exploring. The problem is that you are from Kerala and South Indians (especially keralities and tamilians) live in their own bubble. I'm a South Indian too before you get all worked up. We take too much pride in our States. Don't do that. Go explore North East. See how beautiful it is. Lest I forget the beautiful Himalayan range with all the hill stations that adore it. Or the region of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. There is so much to explore! Kerala is not the only state comparable to Eastern European countries. You have to travel to various States in India first before you make any such incorrect assumptions. Else there is no difference between you and the next foreigner you meet taking pictures with the poor in Mumbai's slums.
> We have serious problems. Acknowledging them is the first step to solving them.
We have and are doing it! What makes you think we aren't? If you are only looking at numbers then you are going to get all the wrong information. All these numbers and metrics are good for theoretical discussions but the moment you try to derive too much meaning into practical life you are just going to end up fooling yourself. Most of these numbers are extrapolated using methodologies all have accepted. Whether they are accurate or not is impossible to determine considering the population of India. I'm not deriding numbers calculated by these well established bodies. I'm questioning the sanity of those who blindly accept these numbers without checking anything on ground. When the sentiments on ground is exactly opposite to what numbers predict then something is wrong with the methodology adopted. Acknowledging that is the first step. Else you'll blindly accept the numbers and keep working on fixing something that maybe doesn't need fixing. There has to be some sort of balance between theoretical and practical aspects of things. And yes, many of these same bodies have accepted their procedures for calculating were incorrect and made revisions to their formulas from time to time. We are dealing with statistics here not science. Most of these metrics are extrapolated from sample data when complete data isn't available. And with population as diverse as that of India it is impossible to be accurate. Take numbers as a guidance not as absolute truth.
By this same logic, everyone in USA shoots guns and eats McDonalds daily.
What I am doing here is battling stereotypes. Nothing against Americans or anyone else here. It is the media that exaggerates stuff as they have to sell something. We just have to be wise enough to not believe everything shown on media. There is always more to it than that meets the eye.
> By this same logic, everyone in USA shoots guns and eats McDonalds daily.
Yes! This! When I read articles saying that half a billion people shit on streets every single day in India I question the sanity of the people who came up with these numbers as well as the sanity of those who believe such nonsense. Half a billion people shitting every single day, on the streets, is a whole lot of poop. I mean... whatever happened to common sense?
Funnily enough, the same media outlets who talk about shitting in the streets in India say the same thing about San Francisco, like, really often. It's a trope that must have been proven by some analytics platform to get a lot of clicks. So the content writers are instructed to juice this topic for all its worth. Craziness
It would be as bizarre and uncouth at home as I find the idea of it abroad.
I very much hope not to fit that mold when I eventually visit. I don't think I would - I would mainly just like to eat and cook! - but perhaps it's naïve to think I'd be any less annoying than the next gora.
Read it here. It is true and real. It is a big industry.
Nevertheless, I've been to India (not the places you've mentioned though :) as these visits were business trips), and it's OK, coming from Europe.
Somehow the startup ecosystem is doing just fine in SF even with all the drug addicts and people shitting on the street[1] over there. But the same problem is a dealbreaker for the startup ecosystem of India? Like do you really not see the problem with your reasoning here?
[1] Human feces incidents in SF rising: https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-human-poop-pro...
So, your point is ?