Essay

Abstract

As a BRIC country, India can be thought of as country who has a potential to grow in many different emerging markets. It is a country that makes up almost forty percent of the world's population and expected to not be as affected by a global economic downturn. BRIC countries have large amounts of excesses or abundance of trade inventories as well as assets in foreign currency that create a cushion in economic downturns. In the state of today's economic crisis, it is important to look at how other nation's economies are able to sustain through such difficult times. An understanding of India's cultural dimensions, economy, government and trade relationships will help to highlight their standing and importance as a BRIC country.

Various Elements and Dimensions of Culture in India

India, the second most populous country in the world, is a land of great variety and contrast. The Himalaya mountains run along the north border, a large desert spans the west, and some sections of eastern India get some of the largest amounts rainfall in the world. The country also has countless plains, rivers, rain forests, and humid tropical lowlands. The variety is also reflected on the Indian society’s culture – a mixture of various ethnic groups, hundreds of dialects and languages, a number of unique religions, and a mix of Hindu and Muslim people. The culture is as rich as the land, and is perhaps one of the most mystical yet widely studied in the world.

In order to understand the Indian culture, one requires an understanding of the Indian people. They are a mixture of different ethnic groups. The two largest ethnic subgroups are the Indo-Aryans, most of who live in the north, and the Dravidians, who occupy most of the south. The Dravidians are descendants of some of the first inhabitants of the country, while the Indo-Aryans are descendants of the Aryans – an old central Asian people. In about 1500 BC, the Aryans invaded India, and drove many of the Dravidians...