What lies beneath: India is one of the world's most exciting economic players, but the country is an unconventional host. Laura Collacott charts an urban territory of contrast, colour and history to find out what underpins the glare of success.(INDIA)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

India is chaotic. Everywhere you look there is a writhing mass of industrious bodies. Cleaning the streets, washing clothes, peddling wares, manning call centres, manufacturing goods: you name it, India does it. It is this enviable work ethic that has been powering the Indian economy to prominence in recent times.

For several years now, the blossoming economy has attracted the world's attention. Clumped together with other fast-developing economies under the 'BRIC' tag, India--along with China--has been one of the most internationally watched by investors looking for lucrative opportunities in unexploited markets.

And money has poured in. Until 2005-6, India's FDI inflow was below $10 billion annually. In 2007-8 this rose to $32 billion and figures from the Indian Brand Equity Foundation show that the inflow between April and September 2008 was up 137 per cent on the same period in 2007. The sectors to benefit most have been finance, insurance, telecommunications, tourism, pharmaceuticals and IT. The country has become synonymous with quality outsourcing and won acclaim for its strong manufacturing sector.

The strength of the Indian and Chinese economies in particular have upset the hegemonic, American-led Western dominance. Some academics have even posited that the present global downturn, coupled with the newfound economic might of these two, has the potential to permanently shift power away from the West. These are promising times for the emerging markets.