Ideas and knowledge from India have spread across the globe, from time immemorial.

People of Indian origin have traveled across the seven seas for centuries - to share knowledge, expertise and to trade, before the ultimate downfall of India, which happened around 1700s.

Gone are the days when ‘made in India’ was what people desired. Consider this - Alexander the Great’s father King Philip’s grave has many artifacts which came from India. Indian steel and more specifically, the sword made of this steel boasts of being the best quality in the world. Muslin was one of the finest textiles the world had ever seen - a 20-yard by 1-yard piece could pass through a finger ring! Indian ships were the best in the world till the period of European renaissance. So many other goods from India, that were of high demand for rest of the world, cannot be listed here and, so many of those have indeed been forgotten!

When the British colonists came to India, they saw a great opportunity to exploit the people. They destroyed age-old indigenous industries, which were close to man and nature, and replaced them by systems dependent on machines - which sometimes harmed both man and nature.

After the industrial revolution, materials made in Europe became a hall-mark for quality and innovation. German machine tools were the best. Then followed America, Japan and Korea. Who is next in line? Many say China. But the big question is - why not India? What does India lack?

Can India take a challenge to compete with Chinese and Western Multi-nationals in major sectors including oil & gas, manufacturing, technology and health-care industries? Yes, India can and will, only if the right leadership is in place.

India needs visionaries now, to compete globally in every possible field. In science and technology, Indian minds are shining everywhere. Indian businesses also are flourishing on the global scenario. But, where is the vision to position Indian made products globally and compete with global players?

Indian consumers are now getting more used to the global market quality; gone are the days when few could afford ‘foreign’ goods. It is abundantly available in India, now. But, what about the status that goods made in India enjoy? Well – there is a struggle between ‘Indian made’ and ‘foreign made’ goods in India. Will the big Indian manufacturing houses give up?

As we all know, only too well that the population in Europe, America, Japan and many other countries is hitting an age bracket, where they won’t have enough productive man-power left for the near future. Only few countries are really ‘young’ in that sense. And, India is that ‘young’ nation today, which will supply far more man power, than it did when it provided software engineers to the world! A huge exodus of great talent in all fields may occur, in order to meet the man-power demand of the globe. Even China is getting old!

Yet, India’s internal demands are more important. India needs entrepreneurship, skill training and education for opening up jobs of tomorrow. India can provide the needed knowledge, creativity, production and service both to the whole world and for her own needs.

It will need a visionary approach with a definitive mission and true leadership. Rest will fall in place. India awaits a global leader and the re-awakening as a nation.

Sri Aurobindo had predicted that by 2025, India will find its own glorious position in the comity of the nations. But, can things happen automatically? No. All people related to India - in India and outside will have to join hands and contribute - in order to make it truly, proudly ‘made in India’ again in this century!

Time is ripe again for the ‘homecoming’ of the Indian Diaspora: and also for celebrating their achievements. Twenty-five million plus people of Indian origin, whether or not born in India and living outside of India in over 100 countries, are drawn towards their motherland that is variously referred to as Bharat, Hindustan or simply India – a land of dreams. Yes, India is far from perfect. The mother, once richest in the world, is unable to fulfill the basic needs of its people such as food, education and healthcare today. But a mother is always a mother.

Today, India stands out not only because of its economic progress but also due to the fact that it has the world’s second largest population. Most of them are poor. The largest number of illiterate and poor people live in India. While the Government cannot do everything, it has certain responsibilities nonetheless. It is a shame that while people view India as a super power, the ground reality is that a very small percentage of its population reaps the benefits of progress. The so-called ‘trickle down’ effect is non-existent. The bottom of the pyramid continues to be huge.

The powerful and rich rule. Corruption is there in every part of the society, religious fanaticism is worrisome, gun-culture and separatism in the name of Jihad and Naxalism is threatening the very foundation of the nation.

No matter how disappointing the situation is, hope remains eternal because a glorious past is an impetus for a better future. Mark Twain, the celebrated creator of Tom Sawyer, had once said: “India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only!” India still remains that land of treasure and the responsibility to safeguard it rests with the current leadership and people alike. Indians living across the globe also have a responsibility as well. When people in India tend to slacken, the global Indians have been and can be great catalysts for change.

Will, determination and a great ethical and moral turn of the masses in the society can change the scenario any time. A huge population is a challenge for any progress, yet there lies opportunities – plenty of scope to undertake, both by people living in India and those living outside. India needs herculean efforts in many fields such as energy, education, water, environment, skill training and technology. The sky is the limit to pick from.

The Pravashi Bharatiya Divas, and other such events are great occasions to be part of. Hence, the homecoming becomes more relevant, not only for a feeling of the mother’s lap and her blessings and the reunion, but also for seeing what one can do to make India and the world at large, wherever one’s birthplace or workplace is, a better place to live in. That is the real treasure one can leave for the future generations.

I would like to thank our readers, subscribers, well-wishers and sponsors for all the support we have received for helping the NGI platform touch a new height. We wish you all a great and prosperous New Year 2014.

Welcome 2014! Welcome India! It’s Homecoming time once again! Excitement kicks off in New Delhi on January 7 with the inauguration of the 12thPravashiBharatiya Divas event. It is indeed, time to celebrate, to rejoice and to get engaged.

In the good old days, people from around the globe flocked to India for both knowledge and wealth. The ancient Indian centres of learning - Universities of Takshashila and Nalanda and travelogues of numerous travelers from Greece, China and Middle East are testimonials of that rich bygone era. Always a safe haven for the world’s persecuted communities – including the Jews, the Persians, the Tibetans and, more recently, the refugees from Bangladesh, fact is that Indians have traveled across the globe sharing knowledge and trading its prime products. In fact, the entire world has been deeply influenced by India – in the knowledge sector, language, culture and so on. Almost everything known to mankind in the area of science, maths, medicine, metaphysics and astronomy came out of India, thus making it a land of bounty, with far-reaching impact.

Even well-known American historian Will Durant admitted: "India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe's languages: she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all".

Today, in over 100 countries, people of Indian origin are significantly contributing in all spheres of life, which also includes heads of several states. Millions of so-called ‘indentured laborers’ from India and their children have actually built various nations.

Unity in Diversity – that is the central theme of the Indian civilization. The reason is that globally, it is very unique and has never suppressed any voice. India has more than a dozen and half major languages and thousands of dialects. Each region and state of India has distinct characteristics, which are very hard to find anywhere in the world. Yet, the whole country is united in one idea – India, Bharat. To many, it is motherland, to others it is ‘punyabhoomi’ or sacred land where the Himalayas, the sacred rivers, the sacred pilgrimage places adorn the country and make every dust particle on the Indian soil - sacred. People of varied faiths, following myriad paths have been living together for centuries, along with the atheists. Science and spirituality have co-existed here for millennia by enriching our lives and our civilization, in every possible way.

India welcomes all - the PIOs, the NRIs. The people of India get a chance during the PBD to re-unite, to interact, to share and to create new bonds with others and India.

India is poised to become one of the top global powers with the largest number of young population; and reportedly, will soon be overtaking China in terms of maximum population inhabiting any country. India has many great things to share with the world today, yet it has its own share of challenges. In challenge, lie opportunities. Indian-origin people across the globe must explore these opportunities to make a difference.

PravashiBharatiya Divas is thus the best possible place to make this happen.

We wish you along with all our regular readers, well-wishers and patrons a very prosperous year 2014. Let us keep connecting, exploring and sharing. New Global Indian is your platform and we thank you for being part of this great mission.