I will discuss the different reasons for this difference below:
1) Cultural conventions:
In most western countries, in the early days, people used to work in the cold, and when they returned home, they were accepted by the warmth in the fireplace. For hundreds of years, this yellow light has been culturally associated with warmth and warmth. Therefore, yellow lights are considered more “warm” and cozy, and are therefore considered suitable for a warm and comfortable atmosphere in the home. On the other hand, white light, which resembles the color of diffuse sunlight from the outside (cold in most cases), is considered “cold” and therefore not suitable for home lighting.
Since India is a popular country, there is no cultural prejudice against yellow lights. In India, white light is considered superior. (When I first experienced yellow light in my American home, I felt that the light was too dim).
2) Government promotion:
A long time ago, Indians used incandescent bulbs (with tungsten bulbs inside). Then the government began to promote energy-saving and environmentally friendly fluorescent lamps. By the time I was born, fluorescent lights had become the norm in India. There are two main types of fluorescent light sources:
i) CFL (compact fluorescent lamp)
ii) Tubelight
Of the two, Tubelight is more popular for home lighting in India. In addition to being larger than CFL, it also provides more uniform light (discussed in Part 3)
They are only available in white versions and have replaced Indian incandescent bulbs in all practical applications. Incandescent bulbs can still be found in old houses or villages, but it is rare.
In the United States, the government has recently begun to promote fluorescent lights in homes, and because of its white color (cultural bias toward yellow), the adoption rate is low. The available fluorescent lights are mostly yellow to cater to this prejudice.
3) The light is more uniform:
American households use yellow light bulbs, which are spherical (or point) light sources. In India, tubular lamps with cylindrical light sources are used. The light intensity at the distance “d” from the spherical light source drops to (1/d)^ {2} [/ math] (simple physics). For cylindrical light sources, the intensity drops to (1/d)[/math] (simple physics). For an infinitely long plane light source, the intensity does not decrease with distance!
Therefore, the pipes provide more uniform lighting, which cannot be achieved with light bulbs. But flat light sources are the best, but they are also more expensive to set up. This is why ceiling-mounted ducts are used in offices around the world.
There are tube lights inside those white rectangles.
Tubelights are used in India because they provide better overall lighting. But to install pipes, you need to install wall/ceiling fixtures. This is not a problem in India because they have become the standard. But in American families, especially rented apartments, even if you want (not standard), it is difficult to install.
4) Workplace and family:
Because white light is used in the workplace environment, having white light at home feels like an office to most people in the United States. Since the American work culture involves doing most of the work in the office and not doing much at home, using yellow light bulbs is not a problem.
In India, this “feeling like an office” is absent because plumbing has become the standard everywhere. In addition, Indians tend to work in homes that require more light, so using light bulbs is not a good thing. For example, some students may study in his/her bed instead of on the table, and those who cook in the kitchen will try to do other things (peeling and chopping vegetables, etc.) in a room other than the kitchen. Fans, because the kitchen in India will be very hot, a salaried person might do extra work/side projects etc. in the bedroom. All of these need enough light.
In addition, unlike American families where people have separate bedrooms and study rooms, many families in India use rooms for multiple purposes, so more light is beneficial.
5) Economics:
Due to the increasing demand for yellow light, the price of white light sources far exceeds that of yellow light in the United States. As for ordinary American households, the energy cost of heating and cooling greatly exceeds the cost of lighting, so the energy saving of using fluorescent bulbs and pipes will not affect consumers’ decision-making. On the other hand, the retail price of light bulbs (with fewer yellow lights) is more likely to influence consumer decisions in the United States.
In India, energy costs mainly come from light weight and fans in most households, as well as additional air-conditioning in some households. The lack of heating costs increases the share of the total cost of lighting. Therefore, Indian households are more likely to use energy-efficient lighting methods.
6) Wall color:
Walls in the United States are often white, and sometimes wallpapers use different designs.
In India, colored walls are quite common. White light is suitable for illuminating any wall color, while yellow is suitable for illuminating red or brown tones.
