First published 2008
India stands at a crossroads sixty years after Independence. The world's largest democracy has transformed from a struggling socialist economy into an emerging global power with the fastest growing economy on Earth. Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, who helped drive this transformation, argues that India's future depends on more than economic metrics. The country must reform every aspect of public life. Nilekani traces how certain ideas propelled India forward while others held it back. Early socialist policies, though well-intentioned, weakened democratic institutions and stunted growth. The nation's massive young population, once seen as a burden, now fuels its rise. Information technology revolutionizes not just commerce but governance itself, reaching into the daily lives of ordinary Indians. Rapid urbanization reshapes society and politics. Nilekani tackles contentious issues from caste politics to labor reform, from infrastructure gaps to higher education, from English language debates to the state's role in a globalized economy. This book offers readers a roadmap for understanding how India can avoid the pitfalls that trapped other developing nations.
Genres: history, business, political-science, economics, social-issues, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: informed-consent, world-history
Setting: India
Period: Independence, 21st-Century
531 pages · Hard Cover · Penguin Group