The £23 tablet computer

[BREWSTERS]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15180831

They're hoping to distribute 10million of these to students over there. Bet on India being the next global powerhouse in 20 years time.

 

[retired_member32]

yes down to the UK taxpayer paying them £850m in aid each year

 

[Bailey]

Bet on India being the next global powerhouse in 20 years time.

Thats been said for the past 20 years - somehow I don't think so. China is a different story

 

[retired_member32]

sorry double post ??? acorn is slow to post today

 

[tifosi]

yes down to the UK taxpayer paying them £850m in aid each year

Agreed, it's more than time that they stand on their own 2 feet. Not that they haven't already!

Maybe the UK government is just trying to earn brownie point for the time when the parent is old and needs looking after by its 'children'...

 

[Blossom]

Agreed, it's more than time that they stand on their own 2 feet. Not that they haven't already!

Maybe the UK government is just trying to earn brownie point for the time when the parent is old and needs looking after by its 'children'...

Pretty sure that the British Empire screwed India over in the first place...

 

[tifosi]

Pretty sure that the British Empire screwed India over in the first place...

As my grandfather used to say... 'and now the empire is coming home to roost'

 

[GreyWing]

The story of the British in India is weird beyond belief, we never invaded, it was due to a company take over of the country. The East India company some how took over the running of the country.

As for the foreign aid payments, I think you will find most of it dissapears into other Government funds and little will get to India. Usually how it works is India need a JCB, okay we'll pay JCB in staffordhsire to build them one and then we'll send it over to them. In affect yep a £100k digger has gone to India but in reality the money is spent in the UK.

Other monies will find themselves flowing down into secret Government projects that are hands off.

The foreign aid is just a spare cash pot that doesn't get too much overwatch because we just say ask the Indians, ask the Chinese etc and they won't say anything.

It's one big bribe fund..

 

[theonemanyuri]

Everyone says about India becoming a superpower but I don't think they will, not in the true sense as we interpret it and not anytime soon. Huge parts of the country are in poverty, I know the US, UK etc have poverty but it's nothing like the divide that is over there, almost like 2 countries within one.

 

[tifosi]

I went to India (Kerala) few years ago with a business partner to look into an IT joint venture. The thing that struck me - apart from the number of people & heat! - was just the weird interplay of 3rd world poverty vs pockets of 1st world infrastructure. A 5star hotel next to a load of shanty hovels, and ramshackled buildings next to new IT business parks.

The weirdest things were dual carriageways that ended a few miles out of the cities/towns into single tracks with cows wandering along. And the driving!! jeez!

They're heading in the right direction but they have a long way to go. The empire may have exploited the country while ruling but to a certain extent they did know how to get the infrastructure right. Shame they're screwing it up here now! - probably the reason China is doing better than India.

 

[cc976a]

I went to India (Kerala) few years ago with a business partner to look into an IT joint venture. The thing that struck me - apart from the number of people & heat! - was just the weird interplay of 3rd world poverty vs pockets of 1st world infrastructure. A 5star hotel next to a load of shanty hovels, and ramshackled buildings next to new IT business parks.

The weirdest things were dual carriageways that ended a few miles out of the cities/towns into single tracks with cows wandering along. And the driving!! jeez!

They're heading in the right direction but they have a long way to go. The empire may have exploited the country while ruling but to a certain extent they did know how to get the infrastructure right. Shame they're screwing it up here now! - probably the reason China is doing better than India.

I've only, in the past couple of weeks, returned from a trip to India (one of many) and can agree with all this.

The divide is huge. It is quite fascinating to see the cultural changes and how westernised the young people of India are becoming, and stepping away from the traditions of the elders, but with a 5* hotel brimming with luxuries in the middle of what essentially is farm land for miles - and overlooking shacks of corrugated iron and blankets of 6ft x 6ft to make a home - it does show what a way they have to come.

Most cabbies will tell you in India you need three things to drive; good brakes, a good horn and good luck!

The luxuries and comforts, we would take for granted, are still for the very few but the whole economy would need to see a big shrink in this divide and grow together to become what people believe are expecting

 

[BREWSTERS]

Everyone says about India becoming a superpower but I don't think they will, not in the true sense as we interpret it and not anytime soon. Huge parts of the country are in poverty, I know the US, UK etc have poverty but it's nothing like the divide that is over there, almost like 2 countries within one.

£1billion home built in the middle of a slum;

http://inhabitat.com/worlds-largest-and-most-expensive-family-home-completed/

Can you imagine trying to get planning permission for that over here.

 

[GreyWing]

I can help but use India as an analogy for .org.uk's in the future.

Some gems in the middle of ****

 

[BREWSTERS]

China and India are building their wealth by exploiting the poor which means their growth is tied to the US and European economies. If we stopped buying from them, they'd be sunk.

Not totally - they both have home markets bigger than the US and Europe.

 

[binny]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15180831

Bet on India being the next global powerhouse in 20 years time.

Can't see it but can see Indian business people owning some of the world's largest companies.

I can see Britain being a manufacturing economy again in 20-30 years. Britain is still the birthplace of so much new tech and once the current economic downturn has levelled out will be a competitive market for manufacturing. If we aren't at the forefront of new technologies like graphene which emerge from here then there really is no hope.

 

[binny]

China and India are building their wealth by exploiting the poor which means their growth is tied to the US and European economies. If we stopped buying from them, they'd be sunk.

The reverse is equally true though and if the Chinese stopped buying BMW and Audi then the Germans are up das river without a paddle.

 

[viceroy]

Indian TechnoJump

I was wondering what the effect that the techno-jump will have in the bigger picture... I always find it fascinating For example: on holiday (in zimbabwe recently), I saw someone who'd been sent a brand new ipad by a relative, but they'd never even used a mobile phone. I was really surprised at how quickly they got the hang of it and even got onto the net via 3g. Having grown up with technology and taking it for granted I somtimes wonder what it'd be like to suddenly have the latest tech if you haven't even seen electricity before?! The joys of Africa hey

 

[BREWSTERS]

Can't see it but can see Indian business people owning some of the world's largest companies.

Already do! Richest resident in Britain.

I can see Britain being a manufacturing economy again in 20-30 years. Britain is still the birthplace of so much new tech and once the current economic downturn has levelled out will be a competitive market for manufacturing. If we aren't at the forefront of new technologies like graphene which emerge from here then there really is no hope.

The UK will only be able to manufacture high value items where the labour element makes up a small percentage of the overall cost. Lower value items will always come from abroad.

 

[theonemanyuri]

£1billion home built in the middle of a slum;

http://inhabitat.com/worlds-largest-and-most-expensive-family-home-completed/

Can you imagine trying to get planning permission for that over here.

Woah, check that badboy out! Why would you want to build anything like that in a slum?

Our government is just as bent as any other, I'm sure there's certain elements of society that wouldn't struggle to get permission for something like that. Aslong as the treasury saw a nice return. Or atleast someone did

 

[mat]

Already do! Richest resident in Britain.

Goldman Sachs :x