And for a Friday ….. after a rather longish three weeks in Europe …..relieved to be back home ……some thoughts …. some musings…….
What a sense of relief as my Lufthansa flight finally touched down on Indian soil ….. & walking into the swanky new Airport at Bangalore with its fabulous Duty free shops with all the Global brands of Spirits , Liquors Wines , Cosmetics & Chocolates ….. it’s a huge welcome moment ….travelling from Europe …..ooofff….these are not the best times for international travels …… Geopolitics , multiple wars …. closure of Airspaces , airports & abrupt cancellation of flights leaves the international travellers in huge uncertainties & dilemmas…… in view of escalating prices one chooses to book tickets in advance ……but God forbid …. any cancellations & rerouting is a huge nightmare ….with unbelievable escalations in ticketing costs …….These days ….though more expensive ….I always take & recommend only Lufthansa Business class into Europe & return ……
Europe in general & Germany in particular is suffering from huge labour shortages ….. airports… Restaurants …. Hotels have all lesser & lesser staff …. leading to long queues at Immigration & falling service standards …….given the devaluation of the rupee to the Euro & the inflation in Europe … compared to last year there is almost a 30% increase in costs for Indian travellers with lower service standards ….. but the bright spot…… perceptions of India is changing …. & changing fast …. the fact that India is the fourth largest Economy & India may overtake Germany in a few years has changed the positioning of India in Europe ….. it’s not just the IT area but in many other areas… the soft power of India is clearly seen ….. Indian movies dubbed in German & Indian cuisines are getting increasingly popular …. Every city in Germany now has few top class genuine Indian eateries ……overall the Indian image is getting a positive spin over ….
Whilst we have definitely made huge improvements …there is still a long road to travel ….. let’s all strive to turn India to a developed Nation … the sustainable way ….. the equitable way …..the SEEGOS way.