An Indian woman has shared how her recent trip to Europe unexpectedly changed the way she looked at India’s road infrastructure. Taking to Instagram, the woman, named Ankita, posted a video in which she said that one of the biggest surprises from her journey was not something she discovered abroad, but something she realised about India.
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In the caption of the post, she wrote, “One of the biggest surprises from my recent trip wasn’t something I found in Europe. It was something I realised about India. When you travel abroad, you naturally notice the infrastructure, the roads, landscaping, signage, maintenance, and the overall driving experience.”
She said that a few years ago, the difference between the road experience abroad and in India felt much wider. However, her recent trip made her feel that the gap had narrowed considerably.
“A few years ago, the gap between what I experienced overseas and what I experienced back home felt much larger. This trip made me realise how much that gap has narrowed,” she wrote.
‘We’re getting there’
Ankita clarified that India still has several areas where improvement is needed. However, she said this was the first time she found herself looking at highways in Europe and thinking that India was moving in the right direction.
“No, we’re not perfect. There are still plenty of areas where we can improve. But for the first time, I found myself looking at highways in Europe and thinking, ‘We’re getting there,’” she wrote.
She added that the comparison was not about identical roads or similar landscaping, but about the overall driving experience beginning to match standards that many Indians once admired only in foreign countries.
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“Not because the flowers look the same. Not because every road is identical. But because the overall experience increasingly feels like it meets the standards we once only admired from afar,” she said.
Ankita concluded her post by saying that most people travel abroad and return talking about what India lacks, but her trip made her appreciate how far the country has come. “Progress is easy to miss when you see it every day, but sometimes it takes leaving home to truly notice it. And honestly, that made me proud,” she wrote.
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The video has received several reactions, with many users sharing similar thoughts. One user wrote, “This is so true. We criticise India every day, but the progress in highways is actually visible.” Another said, “Travel really changes perspective. India has improved a lot in the last few years.”
A third user commented, “Our highways are much better now, especially expressways. Still a long way to go, but the change is real.” Another added, “Maintenance is still a big issue, but new road projects have definitely made travel smoother.”
(Also read: Bengaluru resident returns after 2 years, flags worsening roads, garbage and traffic: ‘Whole city stinks of filth’)
HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
