Itis the final day of the Railway Week at the Bharat Pavilion-India at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka and I am in a magnificent, almost dreamlike situation of international appreciation- and cross-cultural sharing. Here, I am not only a party to the celebration of Indian engineering and innovation but harbour a feeling of a warm appreciation between nations.

In the twisting roads of the Yumeshima Island, where this futuristic Expo is held, converge the inquisitive hordes of people all over the world, especially including the most interested Japanese masses, who have learned to hold the Indian Pavilion, particularly the Indian Railways exhibit, as their essential visiting showpiece. Passing the beautiful display of the Vande Bharat Express, shiny and dominated by a whiter and bluer palette, I observe Japanese families taking selfies enthusiastically, children looking at the model of a high-speed train and tech geeks reading the specifications like a book.

These are cool but what really brings tears to my eyes is the gentle greetings of Namaste being passed around. Japanese guests arrive with wide smiles and clasped hands to welcome Indian volunteers and Indian officials with a silent show of panache and quiet appreciation of one another.

A bit further on, clusters of people are gathered around a miniature of this structure, the Chenab bridge, which is the highest railway bridge in the world. They even take pictures of it from all angles, even going down to crouch just to capture the best picture. In this case, Chenab Bridge towering 359 meters over a raging river in the Himalayan mountain range is not just an architectural wonder; it represents a national will to survive. Another showstopper is the Anji Khad Bridge, the very first cable-stayed rail bridge of India in the Kashmir region, which is a treacherous region. Tourists stand quietly to view the video coverage of how the construction workers faced snow and landslides to finish the project.

There is one poignant moment when a bunch of school children bends down low, and in unison says, Namaste India, clicking a group selfie in front of the digital map of the Indian rail network.

The general theme of World Expo 2025, i.e., `Designing Future Society for Our Lives`, with its sub-themes, such as Saving Lives, Empowering Lives and Connecting Lives, has its resonance in the presentation of India.