Lepers were a common sight all over India and in every part of Calcutta, but extending help beyond dropping a coin or two into their rag-wrapped stumps was not. As a child I was convinced even touching a spot a leper had rubbed against would lead to infection.
What is lacking in India are decent social services. The health service is a disaster. Education is a disaster.
In Greek mythology, the hero wants to be great, but the very concept does not exist in the Indian vocabulary. Yet it has become the global template. And it's a template that won't fit in India.
There's a lot of interest in Nano outside India.
We've had science fiction novels where China is dominant; we've had novels where India is dominant, and I suppose it's all about getting away from that cliched old tired idea that the future belongs to the West.
Why are we outsourcing millions of high-paying jobs to China and India? Why don't we secure the border and stop the country from being flooded with millions of illegal immigrants? These are important questions on the mind of middle class voters all over America.
Religious minority communities in India have endured incidents of harassment, discrimination, intimidation and violent attacks for decades, often with little hope for justice.
I went to high schools in four different countries. The gift is that you can constantly reinvent yourself. I still feel that freedom. One day, I'll wear a dress I got in India; the next, Converse sneakers and jeans.
We look at the number of engineers coming out of India; we look at the growth of the economy, and it's clear that India is a place we want to be.
The way the Pak government treated me is only testimony to the ill treatment meted out to artistes. There was outrage against me. People were amazed that I had applied for citizenship in India. I don't give a damn about getting trolled. I have earned immense respect and love in India.
My top most priority is to deal with India's massive social and economic problems, so that chronic poverty, ignorance and disease can be conquered in a reasonably short period of time.
India always inspires me.
We often say that the M&M Group's destiny is inextricably linked with India's. Both were born around the same time: India in 1947, M&M in 1945. The group has experienced the same vicissitudes that the Indian economy has.
India needs to come out of its socialist pattern of doing things on a rationing basis.
India is still considered a preferred destination for many multinationals to manufacture cost-competitive high-technology products for domestic consumption as well as for global demand.
In 1991, the government unleashed the power of India and created a partnership between itself and industry. As a result, India has emerged as an economic success story, and that is a matter of pride for all of us.
Most of India's 300 odd news channels are making losses and are dependent on dubious cross holding, black money and dodgy private equity investors, both foreign and Indian.
If a player is playing IPL and earning money, it's not his fault that he's not playing for India. He is not quitting. He is playing first-class, one-day cricket and IPL. If selectors don't pick him, what can he do?
On the ground, our operations are in India. We believe we are in a country where the growth is still to be captured, so we will remain reasonably focused in this country.
We regard those other cultures, such as that of India, where many people live and believe and behave much as they did 1,000 or 2,000 years ago, as undeveloped.
The G8 nations, together with the five major emerging economies of China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, use almost three-quarters of the Earth's biocapacity - the capacity of the world's ecosystems to produce natural resources and to reduce harmful substances.
In India, we have the global services HQ, R&D centres, global network operating centres, global manufacturing, and product management - India is not just a market but a country we use for extended NSN.
I want someone who will love me for the person I am and not because of my status. It has to be someone who understands the pressure of playing for India. It will be very difficult to be with a person who has her own career because someone has to make sacrifices for the family and house.
Classroom singing is common in India, but no one gives you marks for that. My idea is to introduce music and singing as full-fledged subject so that talent can be polished at an early stage. Also, it will help alleviate stage fear.
I get treated like a princess in India. It is like a different world.
My own life in India, since I came to it in 1893 to make it my home, has been devoted to one purpose, to give back to India her ancient freedom.
People understand what is good for them in the long run. In the long run, what is good for people is that India's economy continues to grow at clipping pace, 8% and above, that itself brings host of benefits to the people. It brings better roads, it brings better schools, brings more money to the communities, it brings more jobs.
I turned atheist in the '90s when India went through troubled times - communal riots, bomb blasts... Mumbai, where I live, was badly affected. I blamed religion; also, extremists on both sides - right and left.
In India, it's the rich who have problems with obesity. And the poor are darker-skinned because they work outside and often work without their tops on so you can see their ribs.
I want to tell all the youngsters in Nagpur and in the rest of India that sports is not merely about winning medals; it is about being fit and healthy. It is not about six-packs and going to gym, but exercising right and eating intelligently.
India's blood and India's gold was sought and unfortunately given - given to break Turkey and buy the fetters of the Rowlatt legislation.
We scuba dived in the Red Sea, the Pacific and the Indian oceans. We lived in Bali and India.
There is not enough funding for basic sciences in India. We have to invest in a big way, and I am pushing that idea.
Enhanced transparency has helped to reinforce the stability of India's financial system.
The curriculum of the school did not neglect India's cultural, analytical and scientific heritage, but was very involved also with the rest of the world.
There's a difference between those who breed terrorism and those who fight terrorism. This difference should be recognised by the people of India.
