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I don't know what to think about India. Similar to China, it is so populous that it is hard to generalize among the population, but even worse in that it's not predominantly Han Chinese. However, without any real understanding of how the castes shake out, I have noticed the vast majority of Indians I meet personally or professionally are of a few easily identifiable types.
The first is friendly, the nicest and kindest person you will ever meet. These will typically be found working in the lower end of the food industry, and are self-made. America's favorites. Will cook North Indian food because it's popular and widely accepted as Indian food the world over even if they're from Kerala.
The second is a kind of savant STEM genius, usually in mathematics and/or programming, the sort who has undergone rigorous levels of extremely strict education and gone far enough into it to see the universe in math. They are mildly autistic, strongly opinionated, and dismissive of others they see as less intelligent. Granted, this archetype shows up in many of a certain intelligence, but the frequency of encounters I have with them are enough evidence for me that this is a type.
The third is the layabout. They usually work as subcontractors, low-level developers or 24x7 tech support, the sort of people who you hear from when you've fought an extended battle with an automated hotline. They are frequently missing, partaking in India's many holidays, and may work alongside their relatives.
And finally, my least favorite and unfortunately the type I see the most in my current line of work. An arrogant, usually slightly or minimally overweight psychopath, utterly shameless, openly and proudly greedy and exploitative. The sort to penny-pinch by saving on gas masks for workers in an environment where there are hazardous leaks. This kind are highly successful and have often placed themselves at the top of any business hierarchy, usually in governance of the second and third types. They will waste months and months of time arguing over ways to save a few thousand dollars for themselves, perpetually overpromise and underdeliver while demanding the maximum from others. They will refuse any agreement or engagement in which they don't personally win in comparison to others. I have, no joke, been in a group discussion where they suggested, entirely seriously and as part of a requirements brief, implementing a worker tracking device that could administer electric shocks to their workers. The tech industry in India crawls with these people and they massively underpay their workers. When news broke about the organized scam call centers, I knew without a doubt that this kind of person is in charge, an enterprising sort who found a way to abuse the cheap labor of his fellow countrymen to extract profit.
My understanding of the reason why India is so badly off, aside from political gridlock, caste and religious politics, is that this last type has proliferated immensely at the expense of the others. They seek power and money like flies to shit. I have worked with people all over the world, and Indians are high up on the list of people I want to work with the least - this includes the Chinese, the Germans, and the Jews.
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