1. The number system was invented by India. Aryabhatta was the scientist who invented the digit zero.
2. Sanskrit is considered as the mother of all higher languages. This is because it is the most precise, and therefore suitable language for computer software. (a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987).
3. Chess was invented in India.
4. The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6^th century, which was long before the European mathematicians.
5. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus was also originated from India. Quadratic equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11^th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10^{^}53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10^{^}12 (10 to the power of 12).
6. The 'place value system' and the 'decimal system' were developed in 100 B.C. in India.
7. The first six Mogul Emperor's of India ruled in an unbroken succession from father to son for two hundred years, from 1526 to 1707.
8. The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The shikhara is made from a single '80-tonne' piece of granite. Also, this magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 A.D. and 1009 A.D.) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.
9. India is.......the Largest democracy in the world, the 6^th largest country in the world and one of the most ancient and living civilizations (at least 10,000 years old).
10. The game of snakes & ladders was created by the 13^th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat.' The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowry shells and dices. Later through time, the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e. good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
11. The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2,444 meters above sea level.
12. India has the most post offices in the world !
13. The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a million people !
14. The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 B.C. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4^th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
15. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The father of medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2,500 years ago.
16. Although modern images & descriptions of India often show poverty, India was one of the richest countries till the time of British in the early 17^th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth and was looking for route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
17. The art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh 6,000 over years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
18. Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. His calculations was - Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5^th century) 365.258756484 days.
19. Until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world. (Source: Gemological Institute of America)
20. The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
21. Sushruta is regarded as the father of surgery. Over 2,600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones and also plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
22. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.

• India has the largest number of pharmaceutical plants (61) approved by the USFDA outside the USA
• India's pharma industry's turnover is about US $10 billion, one third from exports
• India is one of the world's largest exporters of cars
• 9 out of every 10 diamonds sold in the world pass through India
• Indian companies are among the largest overseas investors
• Daewoo commercial vehicle company is Indian-owned
• India manufactures tractors in USA
• Indians are the largest number of foreign students in USA
• India is one of the top five tourist destinations in the world and the fastest growing tourist economy
• India has the world's largest banking system with over 70,000 branches
• India has the world's largest postal system
• India has the world's largest railway system
• Bank deposits account for roughly half of Indian GDP
• India has the world's third largest investor base
• India trains about 3,000 foreign nationals every year free of cost under its technical and economic cooperation programme
• Indian universities and higher educational institutions produce almost 3 million graduates each year including ½ million engineers and IT professionals
• Only India, Japan and USA have built supercomputers indigenously
• Indian IT exports go to 175 countries
• Over 100 multi national companies have Research and Development Centers in India
• More than half of the Fortune 500 companies outsource their software from India
• An Indian group, LNM, is the world's largest producer of steel
• The Bombay Stock Exchange is the second largest in the world
• India has 23 stock exchanges with about 10,000 listed companies
• With 600 million tones, India is one of the world's largest food producers
• One third of Microsoft employees and one quarter of IBM are Indians
• Indian companies account for two-thirds of global firms with the highest Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model Level-5
• India has the world's largest middle class of 500 million consumers
• India has 50 million "high income" households
• 54% of India's population is below 25 years
• Indians buy 2 million cell phone connections every month
• India does not accept aid from any country except USA, Russian Federation, UK, Germany and Japan
• India offers assistance to over 150 developing countries
• Since July 2003, India is a net creditor to IMF
• India's external debt to GDP ratio is less than 20%
• India has written off debts of several heavily indebted countries
• India is among six countries that design, build and launch satellites