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jakemcree
@LWaB
That deserves a longer answer than I can give here. I have only ridden a couple of Indian brevets, an overnight 200 in 2017 and the recent 300. My impressions are snapshots of a couple of locations and times, rather than anything comprehensive. India is a big country with a regional differences.
Given that caveat - traffic is mostly slow moving but focussed on gaining a few centimetres regardless of the consequences, pollution is ever-present and can be the worst you’ve ever experienced, the routes are mostly on major roads but tend towards flat (in UK terms), riders are friendly, helpful and welcoming and on a range of machines from cheap to flashy. Riding speeds are generally a little slower than I expected, particularly climbing speed. That might be different in a hillier part of the country. I am usually mid-pack or 1/3 from the front in the UK but finished in the front group at both brevets. There is quite a bit of conspicuous consumption in the society and the medical and IT sectors are somewhat over-represented in cycling. As cyclists, your social status is somewhere below cows but above pedestrians. The controls are fairly intensively monitored and may require ATM receipts, a brevet card stamp, a specific selfie or all of the above at the same time.
The expectation is that riders will have locally-compatible ATM cards and mobile/ WhatsApp access. You are required to join Audax India Randonneurs to enter a brevet, which is more difficult to do from outside the country. The phone number you provide is expected to be your WhatsApp contact. Email addresses may be given by the organiser but are not frequently monitored, in favour of a ride-specific WhatsApp group. At least for the Mumbai-based group I rode with.
I have ridden brevets in quite a few countries including Australia, Thailand, Israel, Greece, Germany, Portugal and Ireland. There is a small group of globetrotters that frequently ride brevets in unusual countries, mostly Americans and mostly riding 1200s. They could give a better overview.