Globalisation impact on Indian culture, family, work
Globalisation impact on Indian culture, family, work
12 min read · Updated 2026-05-25
What is Globalisation?
Globalisation is the growing interconnection of countries through trade, investment, technology, ideas and migration, with economic, cultural and political dimensions. India opened up through the LPG reforms of 1991, after foreign exchange fell to 1.2 billion dollars and 47 tonnes of gold were pledged; GDP has grown from 270 billion dollars in 1991 to about 3.7 trillion in 2024.
The story
It is 24 July 1991. Finance Minister Manmohan Singh opens his budget speech with a quote from Victor Hugo: "No power on earth can stop an idea whose time has come." India's foreign exchange reserves had dropped to $1.2 billion — enough for two weeks of imports. Gold was being airlifted to the Bank of England as collateral. Within weeks, India's economy is liberalised, privatised, globalised (the LPG reforms).
Thirty-three years later, India is the world's 5th-largest economy ($3.7 trillion GDP, 2024). Mumbai's Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Bengaluru's tech corridors, Hyderabad's HITEC City — these landmarks didn't exist in 1991. 80% of India's IT exports go to USA + Europe. 45+ crore smartphone users. India is the world's largest milk producer + largest pulses producer + largest mobile data consumer (16 GB/month average).
But globalisation reshaped more than the economy. McDonald's adapted to the Aloo Tikki burger (1996). Pizza Hut launched Tandoori Pizza. Hindi+English ("Hinglish") became youth language. Joint families gave way to nuclear. Caste + religion found new digital forms. Farmer suicides + climate migration echo the dark side. This file maps globalisation's imprint on Indian society — the gains, the strains, the glocalisation.
Why this matters for UPSC
For UPSC:
- Prelims: 1991 LPG reforms, Manmohan Singh, BoP crisis, WTO 1995, MNCs, FDI policies, glocalisation.
- Mains GS-I + GS-II + GS-III: Cultural impact, social transformation, women's empowerment, urban-rural divide, identity politics, soft power.
- Interview: Personal opinion on Westernisation vs cultural preservation.