Vol. 2002No. 164Millennium turn
The India you were born into
Thursday13 June2002
Read 13 June 2002 from the ground up: start with language and public culture, then place it inside a year when economic growth continued alongside major political and social tensions.
Change dateThe Front Page
India in a connected century
Growth, security and technology shape the national story

India was adapting to a more connected economy and society while facing significant questions of security and development.
India in Numbers
A snapshot of India when you were born.
In june 2002, a litre of petrol cost Loading… and a local phone call cost Loading….
Interpolated placeholder between benchmark years; replace with annual UN WPP estimate before publication. Not a census count. Source: current India population working dataset.
Prices from the month you were born, listed the way the kirana shop would have written them.
- The Hindu archive
- National archival records
- Press and public memory
04 · Sport
India on the field in 2002
Moment of the year · Cricket
India shares the ICC Champions Trophy title
The final was washed out; India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners.
200205 · Cinema & music
What India was watching and humming
The film everyone queued for that month, and the song that played from every cassette player that year.
DEVDAS
Year 2002
Film of the year · 2002
Devdas
Also in theatresRaaz · Kaante · Company · The Legend of Bhagat Singh · Saathiya · Humraaz
Song of the year · 2002
"Dola Re Dola"
Also on the radio"Aankh Hai Bhari Bhari" · "Saathiya" · "O Humdum Suniyo Re"
$ cat science-and-technology-2002
Internet, mobile phones and the software boom
What science and technology looked like in India in 2002.
Technology moves closer to daily life
Computing, communication and consumer electronics were gradually moving from specialist institutions toward ordinary homes, offices and public life.
Faces of 2002
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Sworn in as the 11th President of India with cross-party support, becoming known as the 'People's President'.
Sourav Ganguly
Captained India to the NatWest Series victory at Lord's and took off his jersey on the balcony.
Sonia Gandhi
Consolidated the Congress party's organization across state assembly elections.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Oversaw the buildup of military forces along the border during Operation Parakram.
Dhirubhai Ambani
Passed away on 6 July, leaving a legacy as one of India's foremost industrial builders.
Shah Rukh Khan
Starred in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Devdas', screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
09 · BEYOND INDIA
Beyond India
Before the internet put the world in our pockets, news from abroad arrived through telegrams, radios, television sets and eventually phones.
Euro notes and coins enter circulation
1 JAN
Euro banknotes and coins enter everyday use across participating European countries.
2002, circled in red
The year India turned 55.