What is the opinion of Americans and other westerners about India.?

India has a long and fascinating history. By the age of 8 I was fascinated by India. At 18 I read the Bhagavad-Gita and the Upanishads, and was deeply impressed by them. I went on to study the Rg Veda, the Puranas, Yoga and Hindu mythology. In 1974 I began to worship the goddess Laxmi and in 1975 went to India on pilgrimage. That was an absolutely fascinating trip.

A backward country riddled with problems.

A country always on the verge of potential, but with too many unsolveable problems.

Population too high for resources to be distributed fairly. Too much diversity and division. Too religious. Mosquito-friendly climate. Enemies next door. Enemies within.

I'm not a fan of the cuisine, music or films. Have never read an Indian novel and don't have any on my reading bucket list.

Sketchy geopolitical reputation. Cultural influence on the West is near-as-makes-no-difference, non-existent.

Ghandi influenced MLK, but I'm not American, so that doesn't mean that much to me.

My affinity for the country is based mostly on its being in the Commonwealth, but keep hearing that Indian WWII participation is taboo - like India's pissing on its greatest contribution.

An average low-informed westerner feels that India is abysmally poor, chaotic, riven with violence & crime (the latest being 'rape' after a famous incident on a New Delhi Road that ended the life of the victim). That India is the land of Hindus as Muslims were created their homeland way back in 1947. The country is endemic with a host of diseases, where drinking tap-water is nothing short of suicide & so on. Now almost the citizens of all big cities invariably buy bottled water that wasn't the case a decade ago even.
They generally leave the positive aspects as the majority amongst them lack empathy with India.

Very Rapey Country.

very hot place, indians hate muslims. easily a country to exploit its cheap unskilled labor force. its disgusting how economics want us to refer it as a 'developing country' when we know why corporations want to invest in it. i call it the 'modern imperialism'. in todays terms, its called globalization. hip hip hooray for pc.

It's spicy

I don't know about america but Britian has very strong ties with indian as we gave them railways and showed them trade and currency, we pretty much brought them into the world, and britian will always be grateful for the many lives india gave to help britian free europe of socialism, and indian culture and food is huge in britian, we see them as cultured and spiritual, really decent people

It's a fine eoeugh place. I like the food