3. The power of English
Nilekani said "English is also no longer viewed as an imperial language that has to be jettisoned but as a language of aspiration that has to be really cultivated."
He argued that "all the political angst about English" in the past has disappeared largely "because of the growth in the economy, because of the growth in outsourcing, because of the growth in jobs, and today English is seen as a language of aspirations."
"More and more people, whether they are in villages or small towns, are realizing that if they really want to participate in the global economy, and they really want to bring more income to their lives, they have to learn English," he said. "And, the political system has accepted this because more and more states -- which had stopped teaching English -- are now going back to teaching English from class one."
Image: Employees at a call centre in New Delhi. | Photograph:STR/AFP/Getty Images
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