A week in India : what is different

A friend in the US wanted to know if anything feels different on my return to India. After a week this is what I have seen:
1) Bangalore, like all Indian cities, is much more noisy and crowded (-)
2) Public transport: auto drivers are most unreliable. (-)
3) Warmth: At the Foss.IN conference, there was a free lunch. I dont remember free lunches at SIGGAPH (+)
4) Economic disparity:Outside the "Centre for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence", a man,possibly drug addict, was lying on the sidewalk shivering, with froth coming out of his mouth. (-)
5) Talent: Many bright computer science people at FOSS.IN., mostly students. In contrast, the software developer community in the US appears mostly older, and smaller in number. (+)
6) Indiscipline: On arrival, the fellow in front of me at the airport bends to write something, the line ahead of him moves on... and immediately other people from the side jump in to take up the spot. People have an infantile awareness of themselves and do not think beyond that (-)
7) Youth: Mostly young people, everywhere you see. Means a young workforce, and increased consumer spending the next few decades. (+)
Whats promising is the immense latent talent and individual initiative, whats missing is the lack of thought for the community as a whole. Point (2) being unique to Bangalore , I would say the score overall is 3-3.

Western vs Indian Materialism

I find that in India we (upper middle class) aspire for money as a symbol of status, of possession... in the West, materialism is a means of ending the drugery of work...the car, washing machine, the printing press are all attempts to reduce work. Thus materialism there is a force behind innovation, but here it is a goal in itself. A result is that most IT workers are are going towards fat salaries that lets them buy houses and spend in Shopping malls....but not focusing on innovation or doing new stuff.
I say this after seeing the Foss. IN conference schedule. I feel I sold my soul to Application software for money. What challenges and makes you grow is not always what pays more. Going faster in the wrong direction eventually takes your career to a dead end.