Can India be great?
That’s a question covered by Sumit Ganguly in our new special feature site,APAC 2020: The Decade Ahead, which has been receiving some excellent feedback thus far–thank you.
Lately, I’ve begun asking myself the same question–but more in terms of culture. This past November for instance, the net was abuzz with news coming out of the world-renowned and highly innovative TEDIndia conference (More on the non-profit organization TED here). I found the dynamic presentation by Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik titled ‘East vs. West–the myths that mystify’ both thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening.
And the issue of India’s growing experimentation with cutting-edge modern culture was stirred for me again this week when I came across news that India’s first ever ice lounge, 21 Fahrenheit–a concept restaurant made entirely of ice–has opened in Mumbai. At the revolutionary new hang-out, guests can escape the humdrum of their everyday sub-tropical climate and enter a cool zone fully equipped with navy ‘blue furry parkas’ and ‘insulated moon-boots and gloves,’ supplied by the venue. Mumbai, a metropolis furnished, as I’ve mentioned before, with a giant ‘cybertecture’ egg, now has a sub-zero entertainment hotspot. The signs are the country is continuing to develop increasingly globalised, top-class cultural offerings.
There will be more next week on this topic with some local insight from a self-proclaimed Mumbai gastronome.