It used to require a Herculean effort to just get a simple telephone connection in India. The past few years have seen a tremendous change in the quality and quantity of service. Telecom has probably been the fastest growing area in the entire economy and the results are impressive, particularly in the area of wireless communication. Cellular coverage has extended to most areas of the country and rates have plummeted. It is now possible to get a connection anywhere in a matter of hours by filling out a simple form (in triplicate with photo and proof of identity). Entry costs are almost unbelievably low and the rates are the lowest in the world - incoming calls are free and outgoing local calls are 2 to 5 US cents a minute. Recent developments in cellular technology make it possible to get the internet through your cell phone, so if you are technically capable (and fairly lucky) you should be able to plug your laptop into the net on the road here.  Several companies are now offering PCMCIA cards that plug into your laptop and give a pretty good connection.

There are two types of service - Prepaid and PostPaid. Prepaid requires that you regularly buy a "recharge card" that tops up your phone call limit. These cards are offered in a range of time spans from a few days to a full year, and in varying denominations. When you run down the call limit (or the time limit), you need to get new cards to top up your amounts. You can make interstate and international long distance cards with these phones if your call limit is high enough. "Roaming" over a large geographic area is also possible, with slightly higher rates applying.

Postpaid requires you to have a fixed address and ideally some long term connection to the country, like a company. You pay a deposit (from $20 to $200) depending on what calling area you opt for and are billed on usage at the end of the month.

Doordarshan offers national, regional, and local service.  Cable television services are also available.  These are run by local companies and you can ask your neighbors who works your area.  Many companies are now offering a deluxe service via a set top box that brings many more channels.  The cost is very low, between $5 to $10 per month and you need to buy a set top box for about $ 50.

There is now Satellite TV.  Two companies now offer small dish antennas Dish TV and Tata Sky.  They provide good reception all over India.  The set up cost for a dish and box is around Rs 4000 or about $80.  It will usually include some free months of service. 

There are no taxes for owning a TV. 

Televisions and videos run on the PAL standard. DVD players are organized by region codes. Make sure you buy the right DVDs for the right DVD player or, alternatively, a multi-system player.

Most connections are via dial up lines, with all the limitations that presents. However, the new trend is to wireless and the CDMA phone companies are currently promising 128 kpbs connections via wireless.

The Net is growing at a rapid pace here.  There are new entrants all the time and they vary from city to city, or even within a city.   The best bet is to ask friends or neighbors what they use.  Many middle class urban homes now have some sort of net connection.  The more you pay, the better the service.  Ignore promises of high speed or connections in adverts.  You are better to rely on word of mouth of people actually using a service. 

India Post is the government operated postal system in India. The postal service is noted for its wide coverage and is involved in providing minor banking and financial services including small savings.

Postal service is cheap for both local and international mail.  It costs only a few rupees to send a local letter.  A registered letter is just Rs 15 more, even internationally.   Delivery times are respectable.

The service is pretty reliable, though these days courier companies are cheap and may offer better results.  The local trans-India companies are a lot cheaper than the big international parties and still pretty reliable.  One big name with foreign tie-ups is Blue Dart ? priced between the foreign companies and local ones. 

You can also get pretty good service using the Post Offices own courier service called Speed Post.  They can get a letter or package most places in the country in a day or two, and claim 4 day service to the US. 

The main problem with the post office is a cumbersome interface with standing line for counters, one to get your package or letter weighed, another to buy the stamps, and yet another for Registered.  They are trying to improve this but there is a very bureaucratic mindset. 

There are a range of companies offering cellular connections, and lots of shops selling the latest in cell phones at very reasonable prices. You are best to ask the locals in the area you want to get coverage which company is currently offering the best service, as this can change from time to time. If you will regular be shuttling between a number of cities you might want to see which companies, or their affiliates, offer the best total coverage.

There is also the question of what band your cell phone uses. Tri band phones work all over the country, and all over the world, but dual band or single band phones will not operate in all coverage areas. If you don't have a tri band phone you will have to check around. And even if a dual band phone works in one area of a company's coverage it may not work in a different state with the same company.

Water is a major concern, since city water in most cases is not safe. Water is supplied by the city but the supply is often inadequate.  It may only come for an hour or two every day or even less frequently. Some houses may have a bore well with pump that supplies water but the quality could be questionable.  Best not used for cooking.  In other cases a water tanker may have to come occasionally and fill up a storage tank.  The quality of this water is definitely suspect and should not be used for cooking.   Drinking water is best purchased from one of the bottled water companies.   They deliver to the house.  The cost is several rupees per liter.  You can use this for drinking, tea, cooking, etc. 
Do not drink from taps, and keep purified water in bathrooms for brushing teeth etc.

Many homes now have filter systems set up.  These are probably good if the filters are kept up and your water is pretty clean to start with.  The problem comes when water tankers are needed and one never knows the quality of the water that was delivered.  Bottled drinking water is the safest.

Electricity is unreliable in many areas, and voltage fluctuations are so common that voltage regulators are necessary for many appliances.  These, as well as transformers to convert American 110 current to Indian 220, are available locally.  If you have computer equipment you will also require an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), locally available, to protect your equipment.  Random black outs and brown outs are common, and during the dry summer months you can expect daily power cuts (up to 4 hours a day on an announced schedule) in many major cities.

Electricity is provided by the state electricity board.  There is a meter at the house and a monthly reading is taken.  It is important to pay your bill promptly as they can be pretty quick to cut off delinquent account. 

Gas is supplied in cylinders or bottles through a neighborhood dealer; it is advisable that you keep one extra cylinder on hand as backup. There will be a choice of gas suppliers. The government agencies are cheaper (subsidized) but harder to get a contract (known as a ?connection? from). There are market priced gas suppliers that can usually give you a connection right away. There is a deposit paid on cylinders and you usually get the gas regulator as well. Make sure that your gas hose that connects your stove to the cylinder is in good shape and change yearly regardless.

Utilities such as gas, water and especially electricity are expensive. Before moving into a new apartment, contact the utility companies' nearest offices in order to get the supply started on the day you move in.

The rental process is usually straightforward.  Houses are rented to companies or individuals on an 11 month basis (avoids legalities) with a lease agreement.  A rental deposit is standard and is unusually high by Western standards.  It varies with the city, the standard of housing, and the rental demand.  . Rents are usually paid up front. Expect to pay at least one year's rent in advance, plus a security deposit of one to three months. Sometimes, a landlord may charge a low rent but a very high security deposit.

The quality of housing varies.  You can find old, traditional colonial houses, but these are rare and expensive.  They also require a lot of upkeep and staff.  Newly constructed units, either independent houses or apartments, in the upper income range vary from garish, Bollywood fantasies to elegant homes, appealing to western tastes.  Apartments, both low rise and high rise, are the most common and most economical

Standard features in both apartments and detached homes usually include Western style toilets, showers (but not tubs), ceiling fans, and hot water heaters.  Bedrooms usually have a bathroom attached.  Lighting is usually fluorescent, and there may not be wall sockets where you expect them.  The floors are usually stone, often low-grade marble, or tile of some kind.   Windows will be barred, often with ornate grills, and there will be heavy bolts on the outside and inside of all the doors in the house.  There are often built-in cupboards or shelves (not necessarily useful ones, either).  There may be an anteroom, for receiving visitors, and possibly an Indian style toilet for servants.  Many places are built with a small puja room (for worship) in an auspicious place.  It would not be disrespectful to turn it into a closet or study if you prefer.  

Bills can be paid by check, or online (telephone, utilities). Credit cards are not yet widely accepted.

Driving is on the left side of the road.

Expatriates generally prefer to move around in chauffeur driven vehicles. However, having a vehicle at your disposal (whether self-driven or otherwise) is a must.

To drive in India, one must either have an International or a locally approved license, which can be obtained from the local Road Transport Office (RTO). Further, third party insurance is mandatory.

To obtain drivers license talk to your local RTO or consult a driving school.

An auto rickshaw is a three-wheeler vehicle for hire. They typically have no doors or seatbelts. They are generally black or green in color and have a yellow roof on the top. However the design normally depends on the location (state) of the patrol, and so does the color. For example the sides of an auto in Delhi are green, while in Bangalore they are yellow.

Local transportation is predominantly by road, with a small fraction (depending on the city) by trains. Most Indian cities are connected to surrounding towns by buses or trains.
The roads in most cities are poorly maintained and full of potholes, while in villages they are frequently non-existent. Traffic generally moves slowly and erratically, and traffic jams and accidents are very common.

The use of buses is very popular for all classes of society. They are a cheap and easy mode of transport.

Mass rapid transit systems are operational in Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai and Delhi. The Mumbai Suburban Railway commutes 6.1 million passengers everyday and boasts to have the highest passenger density in the world. Delhi Metro Corporation expects to transport 2.5 million passengers everyday by the end of 2006.

India's rail network is the longest of any country. Trains run at an average of around 50-60 km/hour, which means that it can take more than two days to get from one corner of the country to another. Rail operations throughout the country are run by the state-owned company, Indian Railways.

There are more than twenty international airports in India. The Indira Gandhi International Airport and the Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport handle more than half of the air traffic in South Asia. Air India, India's flag carrier, plays a major role in connecting India with the rest of the world. Several other foreign airlines connect Indian cities with other major cities across the globe. There are also many domestic airlines to choose from.