THE CHALLENGE OF INDIA

India is arousing huge interest in the international community for many reasons. A buoyant economy. A huge consumer market. A self-assertive diaspora. And an increasingly confident role in world affairs. Most forums, however, interpret India through a monochromatic lens, focussing only on the feel-good picture. Shining India.

The truth about India is much more complex than this. To successfully engage with India, one has to understand its complex socio-political realities. The road to an economic boom in India cannot be a borrowed idea. It demands a new creative approach.

The Challenge of India summit has been constructed to provide an unusually nuanced window into India for an international audience. It will bring together influential political and corporate leaders -- real and powerful players in the future of India -- and place them in a different context.

Over five sessions, at the RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ :

> Shining India, Simmering India
> The Riddle of the Young
> Potential Trips: How You Can Fly or Fail in India
> Rough Weather: India's Role in Global Climate Change
> New Passages to India

They will discuss not just the galloping GDP but the challenges of ushering development with a human face, in a country as complex as India.

Three major stand-alone lectures, delivered by eminent Indians with very varied points of view, will add to the layers of conversation generated by the summit.