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About this quote

What does it mean?
India cannot be generalized; the only safe generalization is that nothing is certain.
In plain terms
You cannot generalize about India except that nothing is fixed.
What can you take from it?
Avoid assumptions when studying India.

Where it applies

  • research
  • policy
  • business strategy

Putting it to work

  • conducting local research
  • adaptive planning
  • local engagement

Questions to consider

  • How do you plan without certainty?
  • When is generalization necessary?

Another view

Constant uncertainty can hinder long term planning.

More from Shashi Tharoor

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  3. 'India is more than a sum of its contradictions, any truism about India can be contradicted with another truism. There is no fixed stereotype. But even thinkin…

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