Home to over a billion people, India is poised to become one of a small handful of twenty-first century ‘superpowers’.

Changes are taking place that clearly show this nation is well along the road to social, and not just economic, development.

New rules and regulations aim to clean up cities, reduce health risks and safeguard citizens’ rights.

However, the benefits of modernisation are far from being evenly shared amongst India’s people, leading to claims that a ‘two-speed’ society has emerged.

On the one hand, Indian companies are emerging as major global players with billionaire owners. On the other, hundreds of millions still live in poverty.

A further aspect of change (with new curriculum relevance for all age groups) is the new cultural geography that interconnects the UK and India – bringing stories of migration, aspirations and an exciting new Anglo-Indian world of shared film, TV and celebrity.

• India at 60: an emerging economic superpower
• Social progress in India
• A two-speed society
• Exploring ‘Anglo-Indian’ cultural geography

This article is especially relevant for students studying the consequences of economic development at this level. Themes relating to settlement (Mumbai and Delhi shanty towns), demography (Indian birth rates) and Transnational Corporations are also covered.

Note for teachers

This article supports GCE 2008+ schemes of work for globalisation and ‘superpower geographies’. The material presented here can easily be adapted to fit into new KS3 programmes of study that focus on interdependent places and changing human processes.

There is a full seven lesson New India module for Key Stage 3 fully linked to the new KS3 Programme of Study with a focus on the Key Concepts of Place, Interdependence, Changing Human Processes and Cultural Understanding and Diversity on the Geography Teaching Today website

This article is written by Dr Simon Oakes, a Principal Examiner in A-level geography.

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