Moving to India

India is making giant strides.And the world knows it.

India ranks second among the world's major economies with a consistently outstanding average growth rate of 5.8 percent in the last 20 years. Agricultural, manufacturing, service and foreign trade sectors plus a labor force that is second only to China dominate its market. It is the world's leader in software development and business process outsourcing with export revenues projected to propel the economy to world domination within the 21st century. The change from early socialist-inspired policies in the 1950's to a market-based system in 1991 is believed to be responsible for the economic surge. As a result, India has become an attractive destination not just for tourists, but also for those who are hopeful of beginning a life in India as expats.

Surrounded by the Indian Ocean and west of the Arabian Sea lies the world's seventh largest and twelfth most progressive country. It has a unique topography consisting of deserts, rainforests, tropics, cerulean banks and shores, vibrant flora and fauna and mountain ranges including her majesty the Himalayas from Kashmir in the North. Sporadic weather patterns of summers, monsoons, post monsoons, and winters add spice to Asia's sub-continental jewel where scenic rivers such as Godavari, Krishna, and Tapti run through.

Aside from the economic growth that expats can enjoy, there is a strong cultural pull for expatriates.

India's cultural diversity has earned it the title, "Country of Caravans," reminiscent of the Aryans, Chinese, Arabs, Mongols, Turks, Europeans, and other early settlers who christened the Asian subcontinent with a diversity that is now its unique beauty. The people are warm, welcoming, and significantly religious. At least 80.5 percent of the population practices Hinduism, 13.4 percent Islam and 2.3 percent Christianity.

Expats can have a close encounter with Indian heritage by paying attention to the music, dance, and architectural traditions evident in Indias Jain and Islam-inspired Hindu and Buddhist temples and monuments. Its film industry is the largest in the world with close to a thousand film releases each year. Literature is another respected art form that has brought the country honor with the 1931 Nobel Prize for Literature awarded to Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore who also penned the Indian national anthem, Jana Gana Mana.

The richness of the Indian culture is evident in over a million native languages spoken in scattered areas across the nation. Hindi remains India's official language while Sanskrit and Tamil are considered classical. Aside from these, there are 22 other spoken, recognized languages.

Truly the land of spices, Indian cuisine is hot with strong flavors in an exciting assortment of dishes from rice and rotis to world famous phall or tindaloo and lamb curries. The national sport is hockey, although a growing fondness for cricket, a bat-and-ball game first played by 16th century Britons, is observed. Many tourist spots are official UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Ajanta, Elephanta and Ellora Caves, Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, and the storied churches of Goa. Surely, no expat can say that there is nothing to do in India.

With a population of approximately 1.2 billion people, India is the world's most populated federal democracy, governed by the Indian National Congress since its independence. Its politics are driven by three of its most dominant parties including the INC, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Communist Party of India. Its currency is the Indian Rupee (INR) and New Delhi is its seat of government.