ABSTRACT
An attempt is made to debunk the myth of an economic globalisation that originates from the United States, as it is argued that globalisation is not a phenomenon that emerged in the late twentieth century, but a process which has been ongoing for millennia. Generally, 'cultural globalisation' is discussed in terms of three major paradigms: cultural differentialism, cultural convergence, and cultural hybridisation. India, which is itself a producer of global culture, illustrates the blurring of boundaries in a globalised world and thus holds explanatory value for larger questions of identity formation and -assertion in the age of increased globalisation. In 1780 the printing press enabled the Irishman James A. Hicky to publish India's first newspaper, the Bengal Gazette, which he used to criticise and personally attack the first Governor-General of India, Warren Hastings. Global media tycoon Rupert Murdoch's Star Network, which featured Western programmes, could only attract a minority audience in India.
