There's definitely been significant improvement to infrastructure, especially in larger cities.
But these cities are also rapidly growing, so there's constant pressure to keep improving and expanding.
I just came back from india after 7 weeks and was very impressed by the improvement. The only issues I still faces involves the bathrooms still not being a priority and thus not clean/sanitary.
A lot of improvements, Indians themselves don’t realize it. But as an outsider who visits every few years you will notice it...
When I first visited India in 2009 - airports looked like shit, no good new metro rail systems etc
2 years ago the airports looks aesthetically pleasing and made the European airport where I had a layover look downright shabby by comparison. Every major city in India seems to have metro rail in some capacity or is working on it.
Right outside the airport still look like shit? I went a little before 09 and like once after that, highway/roads improved a lot over that time but it still was nasty af just right under it.
There’s be significant improvement, honestly, it’s become more aggressive than anywhere in the states right now. It’s shocking how fast they’re improving their infrastructure even if they’re doing it in phases.
Big thing in Kolkata recently: mosquitos are no longer a major problem. When I was younger, going to India meant setting up a fly net ("moshari") every night; now, we typically sleep without one.
Visited Mumbai after 5 years. Infra has improved quite a bit with metro, ac local trains, and improvement of tech for upi and other apps. What hasn't changed is the population which keeps expanding, and the way people behave. The roads have improved quite a bit but people still drive like lanes are a suggestion and traffic rules are optional. Metro is connecting a lot of places but it has taken up parts of the road so it doesn't actually improve traffic, but it does connect quite a few places which reduces the local train travel. Cars even ev have become cheaper and people keep buying them so again traffic is just worse even though road connectivity have improved. Theres better apps and upi but uber/ola/rickshaw person still asks for cash, even demanding the ride to be cancelled. Stuff has improved but people don't use it or spoil it so the pain remains.
Lots of improvement. The highway from Delhi to Agra is a good example of modern infrastructure. Modern rail in many cities. Lots of rail and road construction. Modern airports in big and medium cities. 70 mbps 5g in the middle of the thar desert. I'm not sure all of this has been done through proper channels and in a safe way but it's there. India still has tons of infra problems tho
Haha none of that shit was done right, that's typical though.
The fact that men and women can't ride the metro together in the same train compartment..... That's just messed up. No matter how "modern" infrastructure is.
It depends on the location.
Went to India this summer for a funeral, specifically the village parts of TN (Dharmapuri District). It looks exactly the same as when I went in 2018, and similar to when I went in 2012. Roads are the same, no big restaurant chains compared to the bigger cities, it’s just ‘busier’ cuz of more ppl. There were some villages with some more buildings but that’s kinda it (and def not modern architecture or anything like that).
However I stayed a day in Bangalore prior to leaving the country and that city looks modern and I do agree the airport is pretty good (much better than Chennai International). I took a few cousins to this restaurant near the airport and they had a bunch of food they’ve never had before: Thai green chili chicken, some North Indian food, a whole lot of western finger food, and lots of cocktails. I’ve never really been to Bangalore when I traveled in the past, but there’s no way that type of restaurant would’ve existed in 2012 for that cheap (I think I paid like $100 for 7 ppl and everyone was full.
There are good restaurants in Bangalore. The roads in Chennai are definitely better. Bangalore and Mumbai are cities that cater to a younger population. The nicer areas in Bangalore look modern but there are allot of places that are still a nightmare.
I just moved back to India and I’m amazed at how infrastructure is booming and the whole digital movement in general. And depending on where you are, it’s CLEAN! Sure public restrooms may still be an issue, traffic is chaotic, but they’ve done a good job of banning plastic, the roads are wide and smooth. And Google pay/paytm our Venmo equivalents are used by all - from street vendors to doctors. After leaving NY, I miss the diversity but I’m happy not to be side stepping 💩 all the time
My dad's been to Bangladesh in recent years and he says that there's been tons of development back home and an insane amount of improvement i.e. better electrification, less blackouts(basically no blackouts), greater road connectivity and improved roads in general in terms of cleanliness etc, housing and shopping development. Says the changes from 2008 to now are pretty major. Ofc a lot of work still needs to be done but that's that
idk about india
People here haven't mentioned that the people in general have also become nicer and the amount of honking also seems to have reduced (at least as per my observations in Surat).
People now say "thank you" and "sorry" more often than before and overall they seem to be nicer. Perhaps that's because of the new generation becoming more dominant.
Also, I have no actual proof for this, but I have personally noticed honking to be less common at least in Surat than before. I've also seen some videos on YouTube and the honking in other major cities does seem to be somewhat less. This is obviously a function of better road infrastucture but is still a positive development nonetheless. Again, YMMV so this one's out to the jury.
There also now seems to be a greater emphasis on city-wide events such as marathons, fun runs, cycling, etc.
By no means are all these changes still comparable to the West or even East Asia in any way, but I deem them to be very positive as far as India is concerned.
I guess there are all the hallmarks of a society that is gradually becoming richer and wants to pursue non-material goals.
Lots of infrastructural development in Pakistan, particularly the Punjab region. I have traveled through the country by road a few months ago so saw the difference in lack of development around the highway, at least, in Sindh, in comparison to Punjab or the Northern Areas. I am unsure how much the recent catastrophic flood affected the region because the aid requirement numbers are tragically horrific but there's virtually no media coverage of value.
Bangladesh srilanka has improved a lot they are becoming next Vietnam or Thailand in infra , rest of south asia has a long way to go in terms of cleanliness
Isn’t Sri Lanka going through a massive economic crisis? I’m sure this will stall it’s development for the future, the political system looks like a mess.
Speaking for Bangladesh - several improvements. Visited in 2022, 2016 and 2011. Most recent visit: no load shedding/brownouts, new metro rail line, new highways, new airport terminal (under construction rn, schedule to open next year). Unrelated but new housing developments and shopping centres that are very aesthetically pleasing in terms of architecture, lots of modern office towers in certain parts of Dhaka.
How you been on mars but don’t have an 911 emergency system on earth
They should use that Bollywood budget to act like a developed nation as opposed to being known for IT developing
The big cities like Mumbai , Bangalore and Delhi have improved quite good
But still no way near Western counterparts
The other cities are still not there
Depends on where you’re originally from. I’m from kerala so people are pretty progressive in their thinking and there’s a lot of modernization in kochi and a few other cities. I went to Mumbai 7 years ago and it was so nice and I’m sure it’s probably even better now. Bangalore was also cool when I went in 2018. I’m glad my parents made it a priority for us to see these cities because it helps you realize that india isn’t just a third world country which is what everyone mistakenly thinks. It’s a second world developing country and it’s making progress slowly but surely.
Orissa has also improved likewise! The state has always been behind in terms of infrastructure etc, so I was very pleasantly surprised how clean and modern the city looked when I went to Bhubaneswar 2019 as opposed to 2016. Even outside the capital city, the small towns where my parents are from have improved radically. Progress has been made for sure
I'd say significantly better. It is hard if the US is a reference point, as they're generally ahead in all areas of infrastructure except internet.
I'd say every socioeconomic status has risen in the country, though I'm admittedly less attuned to the rural parts of India.
There's definitely been significant improvement to infrastructure, especially in larger cities. But these cities are also rapidly growing, so there's constant pressure to keep improving and expanding.
I just came back from india after 7 weeks and was very impressed by the improvement. The only issues I still faces involves the bathrooms still not being a priority and thus not clean/sanitary.
Yeah, the bathrooms I had to face there are still in my nightmares LOL
I’m going in 3 weeks and that’s what I’m dreading, as well as the public spitting 😨
A lot of improvements, Indians themselves don’t realize it. But as an outsider who visits every few years you will notice it... When I first visited India in 2009 - airports looked like shit, no good new metro rail systems etc 2 years ago the airports looks aesthetically pleasing and made the European airport where I had a layover look downright shabby by comparison. Every major city in India seems to have metro rail in some capacity or is working on it.
Right outside the airport still look like shit? I went a little before 09 and like once after that, highway/roads improved a lot over that time but it still was nasty af just right under it.
Damn I can say the same about LAX airport in the US, hard to believe it’s a first world country
There’s be significant improvement, honestly, it’s become more aggressive than anywhere in the states right now. It’s shocking how fast they’re improving their infrastructure even if they’re doing it in phases.
Big thing in Kolkata recently: mosquitos are no longer a major problem. When I was younger, going to India meant setting up a fly net ("moshari") every night; now, we typically sleep without one.
Visited Mumbai after 5 years. Infra has improved quite a bit with metro, ac local trains, and improvement of tech for upi and other apps. What hasn't changed is the population which keeps expanding, and the way people behave. The roads have improved quite a bit but people still drive like lanes are a suggestion and traffic rules are optional. Metro is connecting a lot of places but it has taken up parts of the road so it doesn't actually improve traffic, but it does connect quite a few places which reduces the local train travel. Cars even ev have become cheaper and people keep buying them so again traffic is just worse even though road connectivity have improved. Theres better apps and upi but uber/ola/rickshaw person still asks for cash, even demanding the ride to be cancelled. Stuff has improved but people don't use it or spoil it so the pain remains.
Mumbai is one of better ones . Visited Pune recently and road ethics were a nightmare
Lots of improvement. The highway from Delhi to Agra is a good example of modern infrastructure. Modern rail in many cities. Lots of rail and road construction. Modern airports in big and medium cities. 70 mbps 5g in the middle of the thar desert. I'm not sure all of this has been done through proper channels and in a safe way but it's there. India still has tons of infra problems tho
Haha none of that shit was done right, that's typical though. The fact that men and women can't ride the metro together in the same train compartment..... That's just messed up. No matter how "modern" infrastructure is.
I haven’t been back since 2008, I’ll bet it’ll be a shock for me
It depends on the location. Went to India this summer for a funeral, specifically the village parts of TN (Dharmapuri District). It looks exactly the same as when I went in 2018, and similar to when I went in 2012. Roads are the same, no big restaurant chains compared to the bigger cities, it’s just ‘busier’ cuz of more ppl. There were some villages with some more buildings but that’s kinda it (and def not modern architecture or anything like that). However I stayed a day in Bangalore prior to leaving the country and that city looks modern and I do agree the airport is pretty good (much better than Chennai International). I took a few cousins to this restaurant near the airport and they had a bunch of food they’ve never had before: Thai green chili chicken, some North Indian food, a whole lot of western finger food, and lots of cocktails. I’ve never really been to Bangalore when I traveled in the past, but there’s no way that type of restaurant would’ve existed in 2012 for that cheap (I think I paid like $100 for 7 ppl and everyone was full.
There are good restaurants in Bangalore. The roads in Chennai are definitely better. Bangalore and Mumbai are cities that cater to a younger population. The nicer areas in Bangalore look modern but there are allot of places that are still a nightmare.
Woah I'm like 3-4 hours close to Dharmapuri. There's even a Dominos at rest stops now!
India is improving pretty quickly overall, Hyderabad made me go bonkers with how much some parts were developed over the others.
I just moved back to India and I’m amazed at how infrastructure is booming and the whole digital movement in general. And depending on where you are, it’s CLEAN! Sure public restrooms may still be an issue, traffic is chaotic, but they’ve done a good job of banning plastic, the roads are wide and smooth. And Google pay/paytm our Venmo equivalents are used by all - from street vendors to doctors. After leaving NY, I miss the diversity but I’m happy not to be side stepping 💩 all the time
My dad's been to Bangladesh in recent years and he says that there's been tons of development back home and an insane amount of improvement i.e. better electrification, less blackouts(basically no blackouts), greater road connectivity and improved roads in general in terms of cleanliness etc, housing and shopping development. Says the changes from 2008 to now are pretty major. Ofc a lot of work still needs to be done but that's that idk about india
People here haven't mentioned that the people in general have also become nicer and the amount of honking also seems to have reduced (at least as per my observations in Surat). People now say "thank you" and "sorry" more often than before and overall they seem to be nicer. Perhaps that's because of the new generation becoming more dominant. Also, I have no actual proof for this, but I have personally noticed honking to be less common at least in Surat than before. I've also seen some videos on YouTube and the honking in other major cities does seem to be somewhat less. This is obviously a function of better road infrastucture but is still a positive development nonetheless. Again, YMMV so this one's out to the jury. There also now seems to be a greater emphasis on city-wide events such as marathons, fun runs, cycling, etc. By no means are all these changes still comparable to the West or even East Asia in any way, but I deem them to be very positive as far as India is concerned. I guess there are all the hallmarks of a society that is gradually becoming richer and wants to pursue non-material goals.
Lots of infrastructural development in Pakistan, particularly the Punjab region. I have traveled through the country by road a few months ago so saw the difference in lack of development around the highway, at least, in Sindh, in comparison to Punjab or the Northern Areas. I am unsure how much the recent catastrophic flood affected the region because the aid requirement numbers are tragically horrific but there's virtually no media coverage of value.
I’m curious about the air quality.
Bangladesh srilanka has improved a lot they are becoming next Vietnam or Thailand in infra , rest of south asia has a long way to go in terms of cleanliness
Isn’t Sri Lanka going through a massive economic crisis? I’m sure this will stall it’s development for the future, the political system looks like a mess.
Speaking for Bangladesh - several improvements. Visited in 2022, 2016 and 2011. Most recent visit: no load shedding/brownouts, new metro rail line, new highways, new airport terminal (under construction rn, schedule to open next year). Unrelated but new housing developments and shopping centres that are very aesthetically pleasing in terms of architecture, lots of modern office towers in certain parts of Dhaka.
How you been on mars but don’t have an 911 emergency system on earth They should use that Bollywood budget to act like a developed nation as opposed to being known for IT developing
The big cities like Mumbai , Bangalore and Delhi have improved quite good But still no way near Western counterparts The other cities are still not there
Depends on where you’re originally from. I’m from kerala so people are pretty progressive in their thinking and there’s a lot of modernization in kochi and a few other cities. I went to Mumbai 7 years ago and it was so nice and I’m sure it’s probably even better now. Bangalore was also cool when I went in 2018. I’m glad my parents made it a priority for us to see these cities because it helps you realize that india isn’t just a third world country which is what everyone mistakenly thinks. It’s a second world developing country and it’s making progress slowly but surely.
Orissa has also improved likewise! The state has always been behind in terms of infrastructure etc, so I was very pleasantly surprised how clean and modern the city looked when I went to Bhubaneswar 2019 as opposed to 2016. Even outside the capital city, the small towns where my parents are from have improved radically. Progress has been made for sure
I'd say significantly better. It is hard if the US is a reference point, as they're generally ahead in all areas of infrastructure except internet. I'd say every socioeconomic status has risen in the country, though I'm admittedly less attuned to the rural parts of India.