Unlike many people I know, I really enjoyed my travel experiences in India on my first trip. Granted, I was traveling in a large group and food, lodging, transportation and excursions were all pre-arranged for us. I also happened to LOVE the food (the spicier the better!). So, as I told my Indian-American doctor when I needed last-minute prescriptions for malaria pills and some vaccination series I apparently never finished after I went to India the first time, I was very much looking forward to spending another week in the world’s seventh-largest country with the second-largest population.

I am so pleased to report that once again, India did not disappoint! The colors, the variety of foods, the clothing, the trees, the monkeys, the architecture, the people—everything was wonderful (minus perhaps, the overall heat and humidity… but honestly that was even bearable).

India was the second stop on IBI 2023. The director of the trip had traveled back to the U.S. during our first week abroad, so I was technically in charge of getting the group from Heathrow to Indira Gandhi International Airport in one piece (although I did have the help of our wonderful professor-in-residence). The mission was accomplished easily and we were soon through border control, gathering our baggage and being ushered onto a coach bus. After a quick zip through the city, we got dropped off for a rather overstimulating tour on bicycle rickshaws through the streets and market of Delhi. Despite our jet lag, we were definitely awake by the end of our rides.

Our first few days were spent in Delhi and Agra, so we could visit the Taj Mahal, Red Gate, Mahatma Gandhi Museum and a few other sites. From there, we flew south to the coastal region of Chennai, so the students could take class and we could do some corporate visits. I was not feeling particularly adventurous for solo-excursions, so I mostly did freelance work while the students were in class, but gladly tagged along for almost all of the cultural experiences.

One particular adventure we all loved was when local college students took us on an evening shopping experience through the very crowded streets and buildings. There aren’t many things more exhilarating than dashing across a road with bumper-to-bumper traffic including rickshaws cars, bicycles, motorcycles, cows, dogs and people. Thankfully, we all survived with nary a scratch.

India is really beautiful and very diverse in terms of languages, religion, food, music, fashion and commerce. If you ever get the opportunity to go, please do (or send me the info… I’ll gladly go a third time)!

The Highlights

Paneer of any kind… I can never get enough. Na’an and other breads. Frangipani trees in bloom. Corporate visits to Fortis Memorial Research Institute, L&T and Madras Christian College. Henna. Dinner with local business people. South Indian filtered coffee. Colorful buildings. Being hosted by a Chennai family for dinner on banana leaves.

The Remarkable

At many of the businesses we visited, leaders talked about India’s “growth story,” which sometimes felt like a bit of propaganda (depending on who was talking about it). But, the growth of the country was undeniable. Infrastructure was much more developed in both urban and rural areas than when I visited in 2011. It seemed that there were far more educational opportunities for women and less obvious divides between the castes. And, although entrepreneurship is not a new notion in the country—technically every seller of a marigold necklace, fan made from peacock feathers, spices for food and beverages, and the many other wares that were attempted to be peddled to us, is a business person—I did see more consistency in the way commerce operated.

From the state-owned megalith construction company we visited, to the young documentarian who hosted us for a meal in his family’s humble home, there were obvious signs that India is indeed experiencing great growth from bottom to top, fueled by a highly-motivated population of artisans, intellectuals, politicians, health care professionals and service workers.

SDG

p.s. Wondering more about the context of this visit to India? This was one of the nine countries visited on the 2023 International Business Institute. Read about my own undergraduate experience on the trip when I participated in 2011.

LMB # 8