India's F1 moment

Finally, an international event flawlessly executed and delivered by India. After failing to successfully organize even a concert last week and the stuttering build-up and rather embarrassing wind-down of the Commonwealth Games last year, the stunning success of Indian’s first Formula 1 race brought out not just wide smiles on Sunday but an unmistakable sense of pride in the 95,000 crowd. It was also a proud moment for the country’s private sector, showcasing what it is capable of achieving. The infrastructure was amazing—the new Yamuna Expressway to Agra when fully build will vie to be India’s best highway. Add to that the great management of the huge crowd and thousands of vehicles, precise road signage and 2,500 helpful cops, and it all seconded what champion Sebastian Vettel said: India has a way of doing things right. In many ways, the much maligned Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati, who lent her quiet support to the event, the F1 circuit builder Jaypee Group and the Greater Noida administration not only salvaged some of India’s prestige, but also held out a lesson to the babus of Delhi, Gurgaon and the rest of India where multiple authorities and myriad permissions often throttle attempts to hold international events.