oldog/newtrick -
When you want it, just go down the road to an Oberoi or Taj hotel and get a great steak or burger at a reasonable price while the driver waits. You can even get Kobi beef in India because of the thing called an airline.
People do not understand the importance or features of India because they(the Indians) do not have to or refuse to try to export to the U.S. like China since they have everything necessary, especially technology and money. I had a pair of shoes completely resoled (leather soles) for less than a dollar and then went to my hotel a few blocks away that cost $300/night. The guy doing the shoes was happy and so was the desk clerk that knew my name because of the video facial recognition system at the door and asked me if I wanted the same room service meal I had 2 days earlier at another hotel of the same system about 500 miles away.
The vast variations and technology in India is amazing and entertaining and you can always choose your options, plus the people are great. It is a little over-organized because of the British obsessions, but that provides order and Ghandi later provided the social respect for others. For entertainment, you can always take an Indian train trip where you can travel either first class, second class, third class or fourth class (private compartment, reclining seat, on top of the cars or hanging on the side), but they have the best on time records without bothering to use the computers and deprive people from jobs. It is always impressive when you land and the runway in some cities is lined every 100 yards or so by people standing at attention and wearing formal uniforms (it is a job and also provides the dignity and formal clothing). It is a very well organized and people oriented country, but just don't try to shoot a picture of a person without asking.
I finally learned how to travel from India to the U.S. I would work during the day and then fly to an international airport (Mumbai, Delhi or Chennai) and wait for flight since all international flights seen to leave after midnight, because of the arrival schedules and time difference. I would catch a early AM flight (6-8 hours) to either Amsterdam or Frankfurt, make a connection to Detroit (6 hours), and then pick up my car to drive 240 miles north (5 hours) or catch a commuter flight (1 hour) and be home in time for dinner after many hours. Travel and education require flexibility to get the benefits and you can chose to relax on a beach, watch CNN, ESPN and anything on TV or wander around and learn the complex ways of doing things and the social habits. I only took one guided tour in the years and that was to the Taj Mahal and it was an amazing exposure to great design and construction ability and I plan to return.
The good thing is that the entire country is based on the English language (not always American) is that if a couple of people from the 17 different regions cannot understand, they immediately switch to English/American and can do whatever is needed. I had some Indian guests in the U.S. and I kept running out of Tabasco sauce almost daily. It is entertaining and educational.