Monday, December 13, 2010

Interesting Facts about India

Interesting Facts about India

  • India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.
  • When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
  • The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
  • The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
  • Chess was invented in India.
  • Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
  • The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
  • The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.
  • India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
  • The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
  • The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
  • India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
  • The largest employer in India is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
  • The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
  • Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
  • India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
  • The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
  • Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.
  • The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
  • Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).
  • Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world
    (Source: Gemological Institute of America).
  • The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
  • Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
  • Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
  • India exports software to 90 countries.
  • The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
  • Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.
  • Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion.
  • There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
  • The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.
  • Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively
  • The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.
  • The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.
  • Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.
  • Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
  • India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.
  • His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.
  • Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
  • Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

Proud to be Indian

The official Sanskrit name for India is Bharat.
INDIA has been called Bharat even in Satya yuga ( Golden Age )

More INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT India
The name `India’ is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
 The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name `Hindustan’ combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
The number system was invented by India. Aryabhatta was the scientist who invented the digit zero.
Sanskrit is considered as the mother of all higher languages. This is because it is the most precise, and therefore suitable language for computer software. ( a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987 ).
Chess was invented in India.
Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies which originated in India.
The' place value system' and the 'decimal system' were developed in 100 BC in India.
The first six Mogul Emperor's of India ruled in an unbroken succession from father to son for two hundred years, from 1526 to 1707.
The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The shikhara is made from a single ' 80-tonne ' piece of granite. Also, this magnificient temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD)  during the reign of Rajaraja Chola
India is.......the Largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest country in the world AND one of the most ancient and living civilizations(at least 10, 000 years old). 
The game of snakes & ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called  'Mokshapat.' The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. Later through time,  the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh.
Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.

 
India has the most post offices in the world !
The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a million people !.   
The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The father of medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
Although modern images & descriptions of India often show poverty, India was one of the richest countries till the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth and was looking for route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
The art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh 6000 over years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. His calculations was - Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: ( 5th century ) 365.258756484 days.
The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as thePythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, which was long before the European mathematicians.
Algebra, trigonometry and calculus also orignated from India.  Quadratic equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 ( i.e 10 to the power of 53 ) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.  during the Vedic period.  Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10*12( 10 to the power of 12 ).
 Until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world. ( Source . Gemological Institute of America )
The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
Sushruta is regarded as the father of surgery. Over  2600 years ago Sushrata & his team  conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones and also plastic surgery and brain surgeries.

"What makes a nation, is the past, what justifies one nation against others is the past", says the noted historian Eric Hobsbawm.
 Hence, when talking of a nation, it becomes very imperative that the past should also be talked about. And the past of India is as fascinating and interesting as it is momentous.   
 
Proud to be Indian !
Jai Hind !

India-statistics & facts

FACTS AND STATISTICS

The business climate in India can be typified by rapid growth and opportunity. In short order, the Gross Domestic Product of the country grew over 6 percent. (Source: India in Business) With a diversity of industry, a growing domestic population, and increased aspirations for international trade and business growth, India represents a unique and dynamic business center.
Basic Economic Statistics:
  • GDP at current prices (2008-09): $ 1.20 trillion
  • GDP (PPP) (2008) = US $3.38 trillion (4th largest in the world)
  • GDP growth rate (2008-09) : 6.7%
  • Exports (2008-09): US $185.29 billion, Growth Rate: 13.6 %
  • Imports (2008-09): US $303.69 billion, Growth Rate : 20.7%
  • Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) (2008-09): US $35.14
  • Foreign Institutional Investors (FII) (2008-09): outflow of US $ 9.84 billion
Population Statistics and Languages:
  • India is the second-largest populated country in the world with over 1.18 billion people (estimate for April, 2010) and consists of more than one-sixth of the world's population.
  • Represents 17.31% of the world's population
  • Expected to surpass China’s population by 2025, and could reach 1.6 billion by 2050
  • Assamese - It is the language of Assam, spoken by nearly 60 percent of the population.
  • Bengali - It is an official language of West Bengal.
  • Gujarati - It is the official language of Gujarat, spoken by 70 percent of the population.
  • Hindi - Hindi is the national language of India.
  • Kannada - It is a language of Karnataka, spoken by 65 percent of the population.
  • Kashmiri - 55 per cent of the state's population speaks Kashmiri.
  • Malayalam - It is the state language of Kerala.
  • Marathi - It is an official language of Maharashtra.
  • Oriya - Oriya is the official language of the State of Orissa.
  • Punjabi - It is the official language of the State of Punjab.
  • Sanskrit - Sanskrit is the classical language of India. It is also one of the oldest languages in the world.
  • Sindhi - It is mainly spoken by a great number of people in the Northwest frontier of the Indian sub-continent comprising parts of India and Pakistan.
  • Tamil - It is the State language of Tamil Nadu.
  • Telugu - It is a language of Andhra Pradesh.
  • Urdu - The state language of Jammu and Kashmir is Urdu.
Trade and Commerce Statistics:
  • North America maintained the top position for India's export of electronics, computer software and services during the year 2008-09. The region accounted for 53.09 per cent of the total exports to $29.91 billion, a growth of 24.48 per cent compared to $27.45 billion registered in 2007-08.
  • Exports to African countries also registered a high growth of 212 per cent while exports to Japan, Korea and other Far East countries and Latin American countries registered a decline during 2008-09.
  • Exports of electronics hardware to the UAE increased from $227 million in 2007-08 to $466 million in the year 2008-09, registering a growth of 105 per cent.
  • Exports of software and services registered a growth of 234 per cent during the year 2008-09 over the preceding year.
  • In value terms, export of software and services increased from $195 million in 2007-08 to $652 million in the year 2008-09.
  • India exported its products to 221 countries compared to 208 during 2007-08. The global production of electronics, computer software and services during the year 2008-09 is put at around $2,640 billion.
  • Middle East countries have emerged as third top destination for India's software and services exports to $1.49 billion, a growth of 161 per cent compared to $569 million in 2007-2008.
  • The Indian economy is expected to quadruple over the next two decades, adding more than 500 million people to its middle class, building more than 50,000 miles of highways, and investing more than $2 trillion in building power plants, airports, hospitals, factories and research centers.
  • Delhi's plan to invest $1.2 trillion in electricity generation during the next 25 years will rely on a steady supply of power transformers, high-voltage power cables, relays, conductors, capacitors and circuit breakers.
  • The Indian economy is expected to quadruple over the next two decades, adding more than 500 million people to its middle class, building more than 50,000 miles of highways, and investing more than $2 trillion in building power plants, airports, hospitals, factories and research centers.
  • Delhi's plan to invest $1.2 trillion in electricity generation during the next 25 years will rely on a steady supply of power transformers, high-voltage power cables, relays, conductors, capacitors and circuit breakers.
Key Government Business Resources for General Information:
Top 10 in India:
  • 10 Biggest Cities
  1. Mumbai (Bombay) - 12,147,100
  2. Delhi - 10,009,200
  3. Calcutta - 4,670,000
  4. Bangalore - 4,376,100
  5. Chennai (Madras) - 4,298,600
  6. Ahmadabad - 3,584,000
  7. Hyderabad - 3,517,300
  8. Pune - 2,589,700
  9. Kanpur - 2,581,600
  10. Surat - 2,481,300
  • 10 Best Companies
  1. Infosys Technologies
  2. Google India
  3. Tata Consultancy Services
  4. IBM
  5. Microsoft India
  6. Wipro
  7. State Bank of India
  8. Bharti Airtel
  9. HP India
  10. HDFC Bank
  • 10 Best Business Schools
  1. Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
  2. XLRI - Xavier Labour Research Institute, Jamshedpur
  3. ISB - Indian School of Business, Hyderabad
  4. FMS - Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi
  5. Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai (JBIMS)
  6. S. P. Jain Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai (SPJIMR)
  7. Schools of Management, IIT (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai)
  8. Management Development Institute, Gurgaon (MDI)
  9. Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIM B)
  10. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune (SIBM)
  • Top 20 IT companies
  1. Hewlett Packard
  2. HCL Infosystems
  3. Ingram Micro
  4. Redingtoni
  5. IBM
  6. Dell
  7. Wipro
  8. Intel
  9. Microsoft
  10. Sap
  11. Acer
  12. Oracle
  13. APC-MGE
  14. Emerson Network Power
  15. Tata Consultancy Services
  16. Lenovo
  17. Cisco Systems
  18. Tulip Telecom
  19. LG
  20. Samsung
  • Top 20 Business facts you should know about India
  1. India continues to be the best place to start a business, says a global services location index by AT Kearney.
  2. India's foreign exchange reserves stand at US$Â 200 billion.
  3. India has displaced US as the second-most favoured destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world after China according to an AT Kearney's FDI Confidence Index
  4. Poised at a phenomenal growth of 500 per cent, the Indian insurance industry is expected to reach US$ 60 billion in the next four years.
  5. India adds about five million telephone subscribers every month. The total number of subscribers is expected to reach 250 million by the end of 2007.
  6. India has one of the largest road networks in the world, aggregating 3.34 million kilometers. It comprises 66,590 km of National Highways, 1,28,000 km of State Highways, 4,70,000 km of Major District Roads and about 26,50,000 km of other District and Rural Roads.
  7. Indian ports handled cargo of around 570 million tonnes in 2005-06.
  8. In 2005-06, the passenger traffic rose by 25-30 per cent and is expected to grow by 25 per cent year-on-year over the next five years. While international and domestic air traffic grew by 35 per cent, cargo witnessed a 12 per cent growth.
  9. India is the Sixth largest crude consumer in the world.
  10. India is the Ninth largest crude importer in the world.
  11. India has the sixth largest refining capacity - 2.56 million barrels per day representing 2.99 per cent of world capacity.
  12. Estimated to be a US$ 350 billion industry, the Indian retail sector is growing at a growth rate of 47%..Wow !
  13. The travel and tourism sector in India is generated a total demand of US$ 55,544.5 million of economic activity in 2006, accounting for nearly 5.3 per cent of GDP and 5.4 per cent of total employment.
  14. International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) has ranked India as the seventh largest steel producer in the world with an overall production of about 40 million tonnes in 2006.
  15. India exports US$ 6 billion worth of garments.
  16. India is the largest consumer of gold jewellery in the world and accounts for about 20 per cent of world consumption.
  17. India is the largest diamond cutting and polishing centre in the world.
  18. India is the second largest producer of rice and wheat in the world; one of the largest producers of sugar, sugarcane, peanuts, jute, tea and an assortment of spices.
  19. The Indian pharmaceutical industry, consistently growing at 9.5 per cent in the last 5 years, could zip at 13.6 per cent between 2007 and 2010 and reach a market size of US$ 9.48 billion by 2010 from its present level of about US$Â 6.2 billion.
  20. Healthcare delivery is one of the largest service-sector industries in India. The country will spend US$ 45.76 billion on healthcare in the next five years.
Made From India (B2B Blog): Top business facts about India
  1. India is known to be the best place in the world to commence a business, according to a global services location index by AT Kearney.
  2. India’s foreign exchange reserves are almost US$ 200 billion.
  3. India is 4th in internet usage in entire world .
  4. India has replaced US as the second choice for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world after China as per AT Kearney’s FDI Confidence Index
  5. Indian insurance industry is estimated to reach US$ 60 billion in the subsequent four years.
  6. India gets about five million telephone subscribers every month. This will add up to 250 million subscribers by the end of 2007.
  7. India apparently has one of the largest road networks in the world, totaling 3.34 million kilometers.
  8. Indian ports handled cargo of almost 530.35 million tonnes in 2008-09.
  9. Passenger traffic is growing 25 percent every year. In 2006-07 it stood at 25 per cent.
  10. India is sixth largest crude consumers in the world.
  11. India is one of the largest crude importers in the world and bags the ninth position.
  12. India has one of the largest refining capacities - 2.56 million barrels per day amounting to 2.99 per cent of world capacity.
  13. Indian retail sector is growing at a rate of 47%.
  14. India has moved to third position in the world steel production.
  15. India exports garments worth US$ 6 billion.
  16. India is said to be the largest consumer of gold jewellery in the world.
  17. India is the largest diamond cutting and polishing centre in the world.
  18. India is one of the largest producers of rice, wheat, sugar, sugarcane, peanuts, jute, tea and an array of spices.
  19. The Indian pharmaceutical industry is continually growing at 9.5 per cent in the last 5 years.
  20. Healthcare delivery is one of the largest service-sector industries in India. The country is expected to cough up US$ 45.76 billion on healthcare in the following five years.
  21. India, along with US and Japan are among the top three countries that makes supercomputers.
  22. India is one among the six countries that launches satellites.
  23. The Bombay stock exchange has listings of more than 6,600 companies. Only NYSE has more.
  24. Around eight Indian companies are listed on the NYSE, and three on the NASDAQ.
  25. If one takes into account, volume of pills produced, the Indian pharmaceutical industry comes second after China.
  26. After U.S. India has the largest workforce of software developers.
  27. After U.S. India has the largest network of smooth highways.
  28. India is the world’s largest producer of milk.
  29. Almost 100 of the Fortune 500 companies have R&D facilities in India.
  30. Two million people of Indian origin live in the U.S.
  31. Indian-born Americans are looked upon as the wealthiest and best educated of the recent immigrant groups in the U.S.
  32. Almost thirty percent of the R&D researchers working in American pharmaceutical companies are said to be Indian Americans.
  33. Around 49% of the high-tech startups in Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. are owned by Indians or Indian-Americans.
  34. India sends more students to U.S. colleges, in comparison to any country in the world.
  35. An Indian-American scientist, Dr. Ananda Chakrabaty, won a case in the U.S. Supreme Court that granted patent for his useful invention of living organisms. He defeated the U.S. Patent Office, whose point of contention was that living things may not be patented, thus laying the foundation for the biotech industry. Dr. Chakrabaty is known to have created a microbe that eats oil spills.
  36. World’s Largest Film Studio is Ramoji Film City, Ahmedabad.
  37. India is one of the largest exporters of computer software products, exporting software to almost 90 countries across the globe.
  38. India houses largest number of Post Offices in the world.
  39. Indian Railways is the largest employer in the world, employing over a million people.